


The Myth of Mankind

by MistressEast



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Action & Romance, Action Set Pieces, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Betrayal, Canon parallels, Heart-to-Heart Conversations, Hover Boots, Ice Guns, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Isolated Society, Lies, Lucia is a BAMF, M/M, Mechs, Mic is the G.O.A.T., Portals, Promare Big Burn 2020, Propaganda, Sci-Fi Nonsense, Science Fiction, attempted genocide, motorcycle chases
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:15:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 63,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24334228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistressEast/pseuds/MistressEast
Summary: Ten years after the World Blaze, the Parnassus successfully migrated to Omega Centauri, narrowly avoiding the destruction of Earth. The project’s young visionary, Kray Foresight, quickly took leadership, guiding the small colony into an uncertain but hopeful future, and the colonists honor the hundreds of Burnish who willingly gave their lives to bring them there. Twenty years into that future, Galo Thymos, the Governor’s young adopted son, finds himself adrift. Working as a terraformer and expected to follow in Kray’s footsteps, Galo pines for more adventure than the tiny, insulated colony can give him.When he’s enlisted to help Lucia gather some data on the sealed interior of the Parnassus, he jumps at the chance, eager for a little excitement, but what he finds down there throws his narrow world into complete chaos. Now on the run with a myth brought to life, Galo is forced to face the reality of what happened twenty years ago and the truth about his own father, but, as he and Lio grow closer, he realizes Lio may be the adventure he’s been seeking all along.
Relationships: Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Comments: 23
Kudos: 229
Collections: Promare Big Burn 2020





	The Myth of Mankind

**Author's Note:**

> First of all, endless thanks to my lovely beta, [Mic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GremlinGirl/pseuds/GremlinGirl)! They're probably the only reason this fic exists at all and they know exactly why. [TextReciprocation](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TextReciprocation/pseuds/TextReciprocation) also has all of my love for his help. Thank you both!
> 
> My artist is the wonderful and talented Icy! ([twitter](https://twitter.com/icy_algae), [tumblr](https://icydraws.tumblr.com/), [instagram](https://www.instagram.com/icydraws/)) She was so patient with my backseat drawing and the finished pieces are exactly what I wanted. Go give her a follow!
> 
> I'm so excited to share this piece of my soul with you guys. This whole thing started as a passing thought inspired by Kray's line to Lio in the engine room, and it somehow grew into this. I'm grateful to the Big Burn for giving me the chance to realize this weird little idea and I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Omega Centauri has two moons.

It doesn’t matter much to Galo, personally, but the older folks talk about it like it’s a novelty, complaining that the extra light keeps them up at night. You’d think that, after 20 years, they’d have gotten used to it.

Now, Galo pops the visor on his mech, enjoying the hiss of fresh air rushing in, cooling on his sweaty skin, and squints up at the smaller moon, Selene. It’s a pale outline next to the sun, but still visible. Apparently, it’s locked into position and isn’t even visible from Omega Centauri’s eastern hemisphere, but Galo never paid that much attention in astronomy class so the particulars escape him.

He just thinks it’s beautiful.

“Hey, slacker!” Lucia’s voice crackles in his ear and he jumps. “Stop staring at the sky like an idiot, we’re in the middle of something.”

“I’m not slacking!” Galo protests, hitting a button to slide his visor back down. “I’m trying to _breathe_ —these things are too stuffy!”

“I’ll keep that in mind for the next version,” Lucia drawls. “These Krazor models aren’t the most user-friendly. They don’t even have two-way viewscreens.”

“Aww, missing the sight of my handsome face?” Galo smirks, re-initializing the mech’s engines and feeling it hum to life around him.

“Ew, gross.”

“Hey!”

“Guys—” Aina’s voice cuts in. “Banter later, work now.”

“Sorry,” Galo mumbles sheepishly as Lucia sighs long-sufferingly in his ear.

The tract they’re clearing is a little outside of the city proper, the planned site of a new school. The facilities within Parnassus were enough to support the initial population but now, 20 years later, the number of young children has skyrocketed and the limited school system is struggling to accommodate them all. Construction projects on Omega Centauri can be tricky, with its jagged rocky surface and vast underground oceans, but the colony came prepared with advanced terraforming technology.

Galo’s mech, a Krazor X-112, lovingly dubbed a mini-Krazor by Lucia, is optimized for small-scale ground clearing, with pulverizing energy beam capabilities and large metal claw attachments for narrower work. It might also possibly be enhanced with a few of Lucia’s personal projects. Maybe. It’s perfect for clearing the area of the tall rock formations that dot the majority of the planet.

“I guess they keep all the nice stuff for the large-scale construction teams,” Aina chimes in as they resume scanning the rock face around them for faults, the beeping of her instruments coming through the comlink and combining with Galo’s in a shrill round-robin.

“I thought we weren’t supposed to be bantering,” Lucia objects. She’s in the control tower, interpreting their readings and running ground control for them and the other small units scattered throughout the terrain.

“ _I’m_ allowed to banter because I don’t get distracted,” Aina sniffs.

Lucia snickers. “You’re right, though. The smaller ground crews like us get hand-me-downs, at best.” She groans. “What I wouldn’t give to get my hands on just a _piece_ of the original Krazor X schematics! Galo—can’t you ask the Governor to release them?”

Galo huffs, flipping a switch on his control panel to change read-out modes and considering the information that floods onto his screen. “He wouldn’t do it just because I asked him, Lucia.”

“But you’re, like, basically his son,” Lucia whines. “ _Please_ , for your very best friend?”

“I mean, I can ask, but—”

“Please!”

Galo laughs. “Fine, okay, next time I see him, if I get a chance, I’ll bring it up.”

“Oh, yeah,” Aina says. “You moved out recently.”

“Yup!” Galo stomps over to a new stretch of rock and starts the scan. “Got my own place and everything.”

“Bet the Governor was pleased not to have his twenty-four year old adopted son hanging around anymore,” Lucia giggles.

“He wasn’t _pleased_ ,” Galo protests. “He didn’t beg me to stay or anything, but he made me promise to come by for dinner every week.”

Aina coos into the headset while Lucia makes an exaggerated scoffing sound.

Truthfully, moving out had been bittersweet. Since the day Kray rescued him 20 years ago, Galo hasn’t known life without the Governor around. He owes everything to Kray, not just for rescuing him from his burning house, but ensuring that he got a spot on the Parnassus, even after the final passenger list had been decided. Galo doesn’t remember much about the migration, being only four at the time, but he paid enough attention in school to know how fortunate he is.

“Anyway, I have to go to a meeting tomorrow before the celebration,” Galo continues, hitting a button to vent the heat accumulating in the engines. “I’ll try and ask him then.”

“Are you going to the speech?” Aina asks.

“Of course!”

“Actually—” Lucia starts. “I wanted to talk to you about that—”

“About the speech?”

“Kind of,” she says evasively. “There’s this—”

“Blue team—” Ignis’s deep voice cuts in over the emergency comlink channel. “What is your location?”

Instantly, Lucia lists their exact coordinates and Galo flicks his scanning equipment off to route more power to his engines.

“There’s been a collapse at one of the other sites—sending GPS coordinates now.”

Galo’s computer dings and he revs his engines. In his periphery, he sees Aina emerge from behind a boulder, boosters glowing in preparation.

“We’re on our way,” Galo says, starting the launch sequence. “E.T. A. two minutes.”

The mech lifts off smoothly, stabilized by Lucia’s tinkering, and the canyon shrinks below him, blazing a dusty red in the high sunlight.

“Casualties?” Aina requests, falling in beside him in mid-air.

“Two confirmed buried, one unnaccounted for.”

“Let them know help is coming!” Galo grins, kicking the engines into overdrive and surging forward.

“Try not to sound too excited,” Aina begs. “People are in danger!”

“And I’m going to save them!” Galo crows, heart already pounding. “Come on, Aina! It’s hero time!”

“Jeez—” he can tell she’s rolling her eyes but he doesn’t care.

Galo likes terraforming work just fine, but rescue duty is what really gets his blood pumping. After Lucia’s modifications, his and Aina’s mechs are the most suited for it out of the whole fleet, so they’re the first ones to get the call when something goes wrong. It sucks that people are in trouble, but the way the other workers cheer in relief when Gao flies up brings a rush like no other. He’d do it full time if there was a demand, but Parnassus is just too safe, designed from the ground up to be as hazard-free as possible, so construction accidents are the only outlet for Galo’s heroism at the moment.

Maybe he should bring up his research into Matoi fire-fighting to Kray again—

“The ground is unstable—” Lucia jerks him out of his thoughts. “Be careful!”

“Got it.” Galo gives himself a mental shake, focusing on the task at hand. “Aina, you get the workers to safer ground—I’ll look for a place to start digging.”

Time to get to work.

* * *

The pat on the back Ignis pays him with later is so firm it nearly knocks Galo’s water bottle right out of his hand.

“Good work today,” he says gruffly.

Galo beams at his captain from where he’s sitting on the outstretched leg of his mech. The sun is low in the sky and all around them, the other squads are packing up for the long weekend ahead, docking their own mechs in the flat, raised area they chose as their base. They’ll have a few days off in honor of the anniversary. “How are they doing?”

“Just fine.” The buried workers were rescued with a bit of careful digging, a little banged up but hardly worse for wear. The missing worker was located a little deeper in the collapse and required a little more caution, but she too was rescued safely. “You really got a knack for this kind of thing, Galo.”

Galo chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck. “It probably sounds brutal, but I kind of wish I could do it full time.”

“Just wait—this city gets much bigger and we’ll have to start up emergency services like back on Earth.”

“You were a firefighter, right, Captain?” Aina chirps, wandering over with her own water bottle.

Ignis huffs good-naturedly, and flicks his sunglasses over his eyes. The black lenses reflect the red rays of sunlight still reaching across the sky. “That was a _long_ time ago.”

“How cool would it be to be in Burning Rescue?” Galo wonders, almost sighing at the thought. “You guys were heroes, Ignis.”

“It was a dangerous job.” Ignis crosses his arms, mustache turning up so Galo knows he’s smiling. “But I won’t lie—it was exciting. Things are better now, though. You shouldn’t go wishing for excitement, Galo.”

Galo pouts, rolling his water bottle between his hands. “Maybe just a _little_ more excitement would be okay.”

“After everything that happened twenty years ago, I think I’m good.”

Aina, who hasn’t heard nearly as many of Ignis’s war stories as Galo, cocks her head. “Did you ever fight the Burnish, Ignis?”

Galo perks up, instantly interested, but Ignis just shakes his head.

“That was a long time ago,” he says again. “And it’s disrespectful to talk about that stuff now, after what they did for us.”

Aina presses her lips together and Galo sags, propping one elbow on his knee and leaning his head on his hand. As part of Burning Rescue, Ignis would have been on the frontlines of the conflict with Burnish back on Earth, but he doesn’t like to talk about that part of his job. _Nobody_ does, actually. Despite the amount of people in Parnassus who remember Earth, Galo’s been hard-pressed to find anyone who’ll tell him about the Burnish. Most of them think like Ignis—that’s it’s _disrespectful_ to talk about those times.

“Anyway,” Ignis continues with another pat to Galo’s shoulder. “Get some rest this weekend. Next week we’ll have to make up for the time we lost today.”

“Yes, Captain,” Galo and Aina chorus.

With a last firm nod, Ignis heads off.

Grunting, Aina heaves herself up next to Galo on the mech’s leg and, together, they stare out at the flaming sky. Galo’s read that, other than the two moons, Omega Centauri’s sky is just like Earth’s. Blue on clear days, blazing red and orange at sunset, hazy pink and purple at sunrise. Omega Centauri is bigger than Earth, but the atmosphere is almost the same. Galo imagines the similarities might be comforting to the people who remember Earth, but Omega Centauri is all he’s ever really known.

After a moment of quiet, Aina speaks up: “Heris is going to be presenting at the event tomorrow.”

“That’s cool.” Galo drops his gaze to contemplate the water bottle in his hands. “Bet she’s busy these days, huh?”

“I almost never see her.” Aina sighs, setting her bottle aside and crossing her legs. “Ever since she took over for mom, it’s like—we still live together, but she’s never home and I—” she breaks off, slumping forward and hanging her head. “She’s got so much on her plate and I’m just—”

“Here?” Galo gestures broadly to the rocky terrain in front of them. The roads leading from the base back to the city are a bit more developed, but in the opposite direction, the actual worksite is craggy and untamed, stretching endlessly into the distance.

“Right. I know this is an important job, but—” she lifts her head, squinting into the sunset. “Compared to her work, it feels a little….”

“Did she say something to you?” Galo asks, bristling.

“No, of course not. It’s not her, it’s—everyone else, I guess. I’m not smart like she is, and I’m proud of her, but I really can’t escape being Heris Ardebeit’s sister, no matter what I do.”

Galo frowns. “I...know how you feel, I think.”

Aina angles a small smile at him. “Can’t be easy being the adopted son of the savior of mankind.”

“Yeah, that’s one way to put it.” Galo runs a hand through his hair, pushing the wild blue mess all to one side, and gazes dispassionately at the shadows lengthening around them. “It’s not like Kray is explicitly asking me to take over for him, but he’s been talking about me interning as a city planner, and I know everyone expects more from me than just—” he waves his hand over the dig site again, “— _this_ for the rest of my life.”

“Hm.” Aina purses her lips. “What do _you_ want to do, Galo?”

Galo lets out a harsh laugh, tipping his head back to blink up at the stars starting to appear overhead. “Wish I knew.”

“Yeah. Me too.”

A beat of silence passes between them. The site is almost empty now, the workers nearly all gone, the machinery quiet and still. Galo’s bare chest prickles with goosebumps as the air cools with evening.

“I’ve been thinking—” Aina starts softly, drawing Galo’s attention to her, “—about leaving.”

Galo blinks. “Leaving?”

She turns her head to look at him, ponytail swaying with the motion. “Going to one of the outer settlements. It’s not much, but it would put some distance between me and Heris, and the people out there aren’t as plugged into what goes on in the city. It’s hard to disappear and start over when there are only fifteen-thousand people in the whole world, but—” she huffs out a laugh, “—that’s as close as I could get, I think. Unless I just packed up and moved completely off-grid, I guess.”

“That’s….” Galo’s not sure what to say. He fiddles with his bottle cap restlessly, considering Aina’s words. She’s right, of course. The world, figuratively speaking, is too small to completely escape, but the outer settlements are more remote, so if Aina stands any chance of making her own way, that would be how to do it. “I mean, I’d miss you,” he says at length. “But if that’s what you want, then I say go for it.”

She smiles. “Thanks, Galo.” She seems to consider him for a beat. “You could come with me, if you want.”

Galo sucks in a breath. “Aina, I—”

“I know, I know,” she interrupts. “I’m not leaving tomorrow or anything, but—” her eyebrows furrow. “Just—think about it, okay?”

Galo regards her, lips pressed together. “All right.”

“Don’t be so serious!” She nudges him in the side with her elbow. “It’s nothing to get worked up about! The furthest settlement is still only a few kilometers outside the city.”

Galo bumps her back with his shoulder, smiling. “You’re right.”

“I’m _always_ right.”

Laughing, Galo raises his water bottle to his mouth and takes a long sip. Honestly, the idea is tempting. Galo’s just spinning his wheels here in Parnassus. He’ll never be like Kray and he’s going a little crazy with nothing to focus on but terraforming projects. Maybe life in the outer settlements would be a _little_ more interesting….

“Yo!” Lucia’s excited yell yanks him out of his thoughts and Galo looks up to see her bouncing over, evidently finished packing up in the control tower. “Good work today!”

“You too,” Galo grins while Aina reaches down to help the smaller girl climb up next to them on the leg.

Lucia settles criss-cross on Aina’s other side, smiling deviously at them both and Galo feels a sliver of anticipation worm into his overworked brain. “So—about what I mentioned earlier—”

Galo glances at Aina. “Uh—”

“Right before the emergency call,” Lucia continues, digging in the pocket of her oversized coat. “We were talking about the speech—”

“Oh, right.”

“Anyway, I need a favor—” she produces her tablet and flicks it on, tapping the glowing surface with single-minded determination.

“A favor?” Aina asks.

“From Galo, specifically.”

Galo straightens up. “Hell yeah, hit me!”

“Hang on a second, I’m trying to—” she enters a command and a holoscreen lifts from the surface of the tablet, expanding in front of all three of them and throwing cool blue light across their faces. “Here we go.”

Galo squints at the floating display, setting aside his water bottle, trying to parse the complex design before his eyes. “What is this?”

“Remember how I told you last week I got a hold of some of the original Parnassus blueprints?” Lucia asks, nearly vibrating with excitement as she manipulates the display, scrolling to a specific spot. “This is them!”

“How’d you get these, again?” Aina asks, raising an eyebrow at the holoscreen.

“I made a good connection at the library,” Lucia answers dismissively. “That’s not important— _this_ —” she zooms in on a specific area, “—is the important part.”

“Wow!” Galo blinks at the jumble of lines. “What is it?”

“It’s nothing!”

“Cool!”

“Hang on—” Aina holds a hand up. “What?”

Lucia snickers and uses an editing tool on her tablet to draw a big red circle around the area in question. “This—” she circles it a few more times for emphasis, “—is impossible. If these schematics are correct, the total length of the Parnassus would be several hundred meters shorter than what we know it to be.”

Galo frowns at the holoscreen. “What?”

“Yeah, I’ve run the numbers about a thousand times, and something isn’t adding up. This area of the blueprints in particular is a little—” Lucia wiggles her fingers, “—wonky.”

“Wonky how?”

“It just doesn’t make sense. Compared to the other partial blueprints I have, there should _be_ something here that just—isn’t. And, according to my calculations, whatever is missing is _huge_.”

“Huh.” Galo cuts his eyes to Lucia’s glowing face. “That’s weird. Are these original schematics?”

“They’re not directly from the Governor's drafting table, if that’s what you mean. These ones in particular used to be available at the library but were pulled a while ago, so it’s possible they’ve been edited.”

“Edited?” Aina repeats. “Who would do that? And why? We all literally live on top of the original ship—what’s to hide?”

“That’s _exactly_ what I want to know.” The shadows outlining Lucia’s face deepen as her grin stretches wider. “And Galo’s going to help me find out.”

“Wait—” Galo pinches his eyebrows together. “How am I going to do that?”

“You’re going to go down there!”

“Down—there?” Galo points at the display and Lucia nods eagerly.

“Lucia, the inner workings of the ship are off-limits,” Aina protests.

Lucia waves a hand airily. “Oh, that’s nothing. All of the hatches to get inside _are_ in the Foresight building, though, and Galo just said he has a meeting there tomorrow.”

“This sounds cool, Lucia,” Galo says honestly—he’s always up for an adventure, “but they probably won’t just let me waltz down there.”

“I know that—that’s why you’ll go during the speech.”

“You’ve got this all planned out, don’t you,” Aina deadpans.

Galo taps his chin. “Everyone will be in the plaza for the presentations, so that _would_ be the best time to do it.”

Aina rounds on him. “Galo, are you seriously considering this?” she demands, incredulous.

“Of course!” An excited grin spreads across Galo’s face. “It’s a mystery! We’ve got to check it out!”

“Good attitude, Galo!” Lucia flashes him a thumbs up while Aina shakes her head.

“You’re both going to get arrested.”

“Nah, Kray wouldn’t _arrest_ me,” Galo counters. “He’d probably just give me that disappointed stare and lecture me about public image.”

“Aren’t you worried about embarrassing him?”

“I’m not planning to run naked through the city. A little clandestine snooping won’t hurt anyone.”

“Precisely,” Lucia sings, tapping her tablet to make the holoscreen fizzle off. “Swing by my place tomorrow morning. I’ll have more instructions for you then.”

“You two have fun,” Aina says, hopping to the ground. “I’ll be watching the presentation.”

“Oh yeah, your sister’s speaking, right?” Lucia asks.

“Yup.” Aina’s eyes catch the last of the fading sunset as she glances up at Galo. “I’ll record the speeches for you, if you want.”

“That’d be cool.” Galo jumps down beside her and reaches up to lift Lucia down as well. “Thanks.”

“You could watch them in person if you weren’t too busy committing a _crime_.”

He shoots her a crooked smile. “You gotta take excitement where you can get it around here, Aina.”

Lucia bounces in a circle around them. “This is gonna be great!”

Galo laughs, grabbing her hands and bouncing along with her.

Aina shakes her head, arms crossed, but she’s smiling.

Above them, constellations with 20-year-old names flicker to life.

* * *

Currency in Parnassus is more or less just for show. The population is small enough that the distribution of resources isn’t an issue, so any money that changes hands is basically just practice for when the city expands enough to actually need it. Folks get paid for their work, but no one’s getting evicted if their job suddenly changes or disappears. Rent is more an agreement than anything else, and basics like medical care and transportation are free.

That being said, the supervisor of Galo’s apartment building doesn’t even bother pretending to collect rent from him. Who would? Even though it’s prime real estate, right off the northern plaza with a direct view of the Foresight building, no one would dare to charge the Governor’s adopted son rent. Galo pays anyway though, because he has the money, and he wants to feel at least a _little_ independent.

He only moved in a few weeks ago, and the walls are still blank, staring dully at him as he flicks the lights on and crosses the open concept kitchen into the living area and flops down on the sofa. The furniture came with the unit and, to be honest, Galo hates almost all of it. Sleek and minimalistic, the pieces all suit the existing decor, but Galo finds the whole effect incredibly boring. He needs to gut the entire place. Bring in some plants. Hang his sketches and Lucia’s just-for-fun blueprints on the walls. But he hasn’t had the chance, or, frankly, the motivation.

Heaving a bone-weary sigh, Galo wrestles his phone out of his back pocket and eyes the screen. The only notification is a text from Kray asking Galo to call him when he gets home.

Galo leans his head against the back of the couch as he taps Kray’s name and holds the phone to his ear. Kray picks up after two rings.

“Good evening, Galo.”

“Hey, Kray. Sorry it’s so late.”

“No need to apologize. I understand how seriously you take your work.” Kray sounds just as serene and commanding as ever, even over the phone, and Galo smiles.

“So what’s up?”

“I simply wanted to confirm the plan for tomorrow,” Kray says smoothly. “Meet me in my office at eight and I’ll brief you on the meeting materials.”

“Got it.”

“The meeting shouldn’t take too long. We’ll have to prepare for the speeches right afterward.”

“I’m sure you’re all prepared already,” Galo chuckles.

“Of course. But my peers might need more time.” Kray almost sounds amused and Galo counts it as a win. “Wear a suit for the meeting,” Kray continues, back to business. “The entire city board will be there, so you need to make a decent impression.”

“Hey, I’m always decent!”

Kray hums. “Do I need to have Biar arrange a suit for you?”

Galo rolls his eyes. “No, I have a suit.”

“Good. I expect the city planner will want to discuss the matter of your interning, so be prepared for that.”

Since Kray can’t see him, Galo scrunches up his nose. “Got it.”

“That’s it, then,” Kray says simply. “See you tomorrow, Galo.”

“Yeah. ‘Night, Kray.”

The line goes dead and Galo lets the silence ring in his ear, gaze fixed blankly on the ceiling.

After a beat of stillness, he tosses the phone aside and heaves himself to his feet. The curtains covering his floor-to-ceiling windows shut automatically when he leaves, so he has to pull them aside to look out.

From his unit, he has a great view of the northern plaza below, illuminated by streetlights and still bustling with gentle evening activity. At one end of the long public space stands the towering structure of the Foresight building, casting its long, geometric shadow over all of Parnassus, both literally and as the major hub of political power for all of humanity. Galo is intimately familiar with the spindly skyscraper, including the off-limits basement areas that he and Lucia both know lead into the inner workings of the ship nestled in the ground below them.

A few hundred meters in front of the Foresight building sits, arguably, the most prominent landmark in all of Parnassus: the statue. The Foresight building is a fixture, a necessity to life in the colony, but the statue is different. It’s impossible to miss, tall and dark, dominating the plaza, and it has an official name, etched onto the plate on the front: _The Myth of Mankind_ —but everyone just calls it the statue, because what else would they be talking about?

Made of gleaming black stone, it was reportedly one of the first things Kray ordered built after the ship landed on Omega Centauri. A monument to the martyrs, he said. It’s fairly abstract: a cluster of indistinct humanoid shapes grouped behind one that’s slightly elevated. They’re all reaching up and the raised one’s palm is facing the sky, holding a crystalline flame that morphs into the fire from the thrusters of a miniature Parnassus replica.

The shallow reflecting pool in front of the statue glistens under the streetlamps, light bouncing off the surface of the water and the black stone of the statue in a kaleidoscopic show every night. The display is even bright enough to shine through Galo’s window, four stories up, and some nights he leaves the curtains open and the lights off, letting the glow fill his barren apartment.

Once Galo was old enough to appreciate what the statue was actually depicting, he spent a few years actively avoiding it, unwilling to face the unpleasant churning in his gut that came with the knowledge. Even now, staring down at it as an adult, Galo can’t help the distant pangs of sorrow that strum through him. It’s been 20 years, and he doesn’t even remember the migration, let alone much before it, but coupled with the hushed way everyone talks about the Burnish, the statue just strikes him as unbearably sad.

However, despite the distinct melancholy surrounding the statue, the sight of it also stirs something resolute in his chest. The Burnish gave their lives to save humanity, and Galo feels that it’s his duty to honor that sacrifice. He’ll never reach the same level of selfless heroism, but building for the colony and looking out for people in dangerous situations is the best he can do right now.

Kray wants him to take a more backseat role, go into city planning or management, and it’s not like he hates the idea, but the thought of sitting in an office _managing_ things feels insufferably stagnant. Looking at the statue makes him restless, like he’s not doing _enough_ —but will he ever be able to do enough? In the face of the Burnish’s sacrifice, can anything compare?

Can anything atone?

Galo tips forward until his forehead is resting against the cool glass of the window, Aina’s offer rising to the front of his mind.

Escaping to the settlements might solve some of the anxiety curdling inside him. Kray would be disappointed, but Galo knows that he’d ultimately forgive him. As much as Kray wants Galo to follow in his footsteps, Kray always assures him that his happiness is important as well. Would leaving make him happy?

He’s not sure. As he stares absently down at the glittering black statue, he’s not sure about anything.

* * *

By the time the meeting finishes, Galo’s nearly vibrated right out of his skin from boredom.

It’s not that he doesn’t understand what the city board is talking about, it’s more that he knows _too_ well. He keeps up with the weekly reports, okay, he can read. But it’s important to keep everyone on the same page. Or whatever.

Colonel Vulcan’s plans for a new AI-based training system are at least a little interesting, but that’s it.

When Kray finally adjourns them, Galo sighs in relief and pushes himself to his feet, stretching as the rest of the board files out.

Vulcan claps him hard on the back as he passes, offering a toothy smile, and Galo grunts from the force. The man is short, but he’s basically solid muscle, and in a set of mech armor, he’s practically unstoppable. “If the desk job doesn’t pan out, you can come work for me, Galo,” he says jovially. “Wouldn’t mind having a kid like you if we ever have to reinstate Freeze Force.”

Galo smiles back. “Dream on, man. You just want me around to do all your work.”

Vulcan snorts. “Whatever you say, kid.” He points at Galo on his way out. “Think about it.”

Galo waves him off.

“If you’d like to go into law enforcement—” Kray starts, still seated at the head of the long, slim table, tapping at something on his tablet, “—you’re welcome to, of course.”

“Well—” Galo laughs awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. “That’s not really….”

Kray steeples his white gloved fingers together and peers at Galo, eyes glinting in the sunlight streaming through the surrounding windows. “Of course, I think you’d excel as a planner. You have excellent aptitude for understanding the needs of the colony, and your hands-on terraforming experience would be a benefit.”

“Yeah, I mean—” Galo’s cheeks burn faintly with the praise. “You’re probably right.”

“Did the internship sound interesting?”

“I...I guess.”

Pursing his lips, Kray stands smoothly and Galo avoids his eyes as he paces closer. “Galo, you don’t have to force yourself.”

“I’m not! I’m just—” Galo sighs. “Thinking about it all.”

“The choice is yours, of course.” Kray regards him carefully, hands folded behind his back. The position accentuates his broad chest and wide shoulders, tight white uniform stretched over firm muscles. For a man in his forties, Kray hasn’t slowed at all, and Galo has no doubt that if Kray ever accepted Vulcan’s invitation to spar with his trainees, he’d wipe the floor with all of them. Galo’s twenty-four, so he’s probably past any hope of getting as tall as Kray, but that’s fine. Kray is a force of nature, a steady, serene mountain keeping Parnassus in his protective shadow. Galo was never gonna measure up anyway. “Is something weighing on your mind?”

Galo startles. “No—not really,” he responds quickly. “Nothing in particular, anyway.”

“I understand the indecision that accompanies youth,” Kray says, even and collected. “And I don’t want to pressure you to decide your entire future right away. Although, I truly think you’d excel in a governing position, Galo. I have great faith in your abilities, and I know you want to help the colony grow.”

“Thanks,” Galo says sheepishly.

“Your current work is important, but I believe you could be doing so much more.” Kray quirks a brow. “City planning isn’t as exciting as terraforming, but you could do the colony a lot of good.”

“I know, I know, I just—” Galo bites his lip, brows pinched.

“Don’t rush,” Kray says. “You have time to consider it. But _do_ consider it.” His face softens with a serene smile, and he reaches out to grip Galo’s shoulder with his non-prosthetic arm. “The colony is counting on you, Galo.” He squeezes. “I’m counting on you.”

Galo swallows. “I hope I can live up to your expectations.”

“I’m sure you will.” With a last solid pat, Kray turns away. “The celebration will be starting soon, so go on. I’ll call you later to sort out dinner tonight, alright? If you have plans with your friends, we can reschedule.”

“No, uh—” Galo takes a deep breath. “I’m free. I’ll—I’ll see you.” At Kray’s nod, Galo speed-walks out of the conference room.

As soon as he’s in the hall, a weight lifts from his shoulders and his stomach unravels. Releasing a heavy sigh, he sets off down the corridor and taps the earpiece nestled almost invisibly in his ear.

“Alright, I’m free,” he whispers.

“Sweet!” Lucia chirps. “Ready to do crime?”

Galo grins. “Always.”

“Got your bag?”

“Yeah, hang on—” Galo hurries to the alcove where he stashed his backpack before the meeting and snags it. “I’m gonna go change.”

He ducks into a bathroom and quickly strips off his suit, swapping it for a dark t-shirt and sturdy pair of jeans. The utility belt he usually wears at work goes right on his waist where it belongs and he eagerly pulls out Lucia’s special snooping tools.

“Alright—” he starts, voice reverberating slightly in the tiled bathroom, spreading the devices out on the counter. Everyone will be downstairs setting up for the celebration, so he shouldn’t be bothered. “What am I looking at?” He was running a bit late that morning when he dropped by her place, so they didn’t have time for a rundown, Lucia just shoving her inventions in his bag with a gleeful grin.

“Your basic breaking and entering toolbox,” Lucia says casually. “The little round things are electronic lockpicks. Undetectable, and they should work on any electronic lock.”

“Sweet.” Galo drops the handful of metal disks into a pouch on his belt and picks up what looks like a flat lamp with a clip on the back. “And this one’s a flashlight, I bet.”

“Yup. Goes on your shirt to keep your hands free. I figured they probably weren’t wasting energy lighting forbidden areas.”

Galo clips the light to his shirt and reaches for the biggest device, a red cube about the size of his palm. “And this square thing?”

“ _That_ —” Galo can hear the eagerness in Lucia’s voice, “—is something I’m pretty excited about.”

Intrigued, Galo examines it, but it seems to be collapsed, little seams running all along the surface and offering no clues as to its purpose. “What is it?”

“You’ll see,” Lucia sings. “It’s something I’ve been working on for a while. It’s gonna help me scan whatever you find down there, but it eats through batteries like crazy so I can’t activate it until you get where you’re going.”

“Got it.” Galo tucks the cube into another pocket. “Is that it?”

“Uh, Galo!” Lucia scoffs. “Your shoes!”

“Oh, right.” Galo looks down at the black, thick-soled work boots Lucia forced him to trade his dress shoes for this morning. “What’s the deal with the boots?”

“I hope you’re ready for this because you’re about to lose your mind—” Lucia is practically squealing in his ear. “You see the wrist band I gave you?”

“Uh—” Galo digs in his backpack and produces the thick bracelet Lucia tossed in with the other tools. It snaps snugly around his wrist and features several unlabeled buttons. “Yeah.”

“Hit the round button on the left.”

Galo taps the button and after a split-second of delay, a bizarre buzzing sensation hums up his legs and he jolts as his feet suddenly lose contact with the ground.

Stomach lurching, Galo grabs frantically for the counter, steadying himself and looking down at— “Hover boots?” he demands in disbelief.

“Yup!” Lucia cheers. “I’ve been working on them for a while and figured this would be a good time to test them out! I’m not sure what you’re gonna find down there, after all.” She huffs and Galo can picture her pleased smile. “What do you think?”

“Lucia—!” Galo breaks off, unable to control the excitement bubbling in his chest. He flies in his mech all the time, but honest-to-fuck hover shoes? That’s completely different! Even just a few inches over the floors, control is tricky, his top-heavy body wanting to list forward, but Galo’s only too eager to practice. “This is incredible! Holy shit, I can’t believe this!”

“Yeah, well—” she clicks her tongue smugly. “They’re not perfected yet, but you should be good for up to five-hundred pounds. Just in case I need you to snag something for me.”

“How do I control them?”

Lucia gives him a rundown of the wrist controls and Galo cuts the power, thumping back to the floor and grinning madly down at his new hover boots.

“They also have emergency motion sensors,” she explains. “They’ll activate if they sense a sudden downward acceleration, but I haven’t been able to test those capabilities yet, so try not to fall to your death.”

“I’ll do my best. Seriously, Lucia, this is so _cool_.”

“I know,” she preens. “Anyway, it looks like the speeches are about to start, so let’s _go_.”

“On it.” Galo stuffs his suit carelessly into his backpack and stows it under the sink. “Our communications are secured, right?” he asks, peeking out to make sure the hall is empty before leaving the bathroom.

“Oh yeah,” she says confidently. “Two way connection on an unhackable frequency. I’ve got a tracker in your earpiece but I took the liberty of dampening your phone’s signal. Just in case.”

“Good idea.”

Galo skips past the main elevator, breezing through the halls on his way to the nearest maintenance corridor. As he passes one of the screens set in the walls, it switches from its usual display of weather or general colony news to show a shot of a stage with a podium set up in the middle. Behind it, the black stone of the Myth of Mankind shines. They must have set the platform up right over the reflecting pool.

“Showing the speeches on the Sight System, huh?” Lucia says drolly. “Guess they want to make sure no one misses anything.”

The next screen Galo passes shows Kray’s white-suited figure making its way to the podium and he pauses for just a second to watch Kray turn and regard the crowd that must be assembled behind the camera. With his appearance, the ambient chatter and rustle of the audience falls silent.

“Thank you, everyone,” Kray says calmly into the microphone, sweeping his gaze across the plaza. “Today is an achievement. _Our_ achievement. None of this would have been possible without the hard work of every single person in Parnassus, so, truly, _thank you_.”

Thunderous applause greets his words and Galo swallows, letting his feet carry him away from the screen.

“Twenty years ago,” Kray continues, his voice following Galo through the building’s speaker system, “humanity had to make an impossible choice—to let itself disappear in the unstoppable collapse of a dying planet, or send as many people as possible on a journey with no guarantee of safety. Many of us still remember the last days of Earth, and it was a horror almost too great to bear. By throwing its fate to the stars, humanity ensured its survival. Twenty years ago today, we triumphed over the merciless whims of nature.”

More applause, cheers. Galo finally slips into a maintenance hallway and beelines for the freight elevator. He pushes the button for the lowest basement level and taps the rapid descent command into the keypad so that it doesn’t take a full hour to get there.

“Today, we remember the great strides we took to bring us here, the tireless work and endless hope, but we also remember what we have lost.” Kray’s voice, slightly tinnier in the elevator speakers, dips, and Galo’s heart clenches as the elevator starts to speed downward. “Those of us who are old enough to remember Earth must also remember the Burnish.” The crowd murmurs anxiously, loud enough for even Galo to hear. “Their struggle against humanity was not without reason, and, despite their methods, the majority of them were peaceful. Even though their powers were too unstable and destructive to ever allow them to coexist with normal humans, it was through no fault of their own. We fought callously against them for over a decade, and still, when Earth’s final moment was upon us, the Burnish stepped forward and selflessly offered their powers to fuel the Parnassus.”

The elevator shudders minutely as it shifts into the subterranean section of the building and Galo watches the number on the screen flip to B1, B2, B3—

“Our research into warp technology had stalled, and we would have been doomed to float aimlessly in space without a surefire way to get to our closest habitable neighbor. If I had more time, I could have designed an engine that utilized the Burnish’s powers safely, and that blame falls on me, but it doesn’t detract from the selfless heroism of the Burnish, who gave their lives to create our future.”

Whistles and cheering erupt from the audience just as the elevator jolts to a stop. The doors slide open and Galo quickly scoots out, slightly relieved to find that the speaker system doesn’t extend this deep. The noise of the crowd cuts off behind him as the elevator doors glide shut.

“Be careful,” Lucia warns as Galo creeps into the dim, winding basement. “Everyone should be out for the celebration, but it’s not like it was required.”

“Right.” Galo keeps his steps quiet, rounding a corner and heading down a set of concrete stairs. The lowest basements aren’t used very often, and when they are it’s mostly just for storage, so normally there wouldn’t be anyone down here anyway, and, predictably, Galo is unaccosted as he makes his way to a hatch set into the dull grey floor.

It looks like any other maintenance hatch, but Galo grew up in this building. He and Aina used to roam the halls freely, sneaking into every nook and crawling through every gap. Galo knows, through investigation and word-of-mouth, that this particular hatch, instead of leading to a utility shaft or whatever, drops you directly into the interior of the Parnassus.

It’s also super locked.

With a quick glance around to confirm that he’s still alone, Galo digs out one of Lucia’s electronic lockpicks and kneels down, sticking it to the metal beside the handle. It activates instantly, emitting a quiet beeping noise. Then another. A series of rapid clicks later, it chimes softly and Galo hears the unmistakable clunk of the mechanism in the hatch releasing.

Grinning, Galo removes the disk and grabs the handle. The door is solid, weighty metal, but with a good tug, Galo heaves it open and peers into the void below. “Here we go,” he mumbles to himself before swinging inside, getting a foot on the ladder connecting the hatch to the floor.

He descends carefully, pulling the hatch over his head as he goes down until it seals itself back into its frame, blocking out the scant light from the basement. A tap to the device pinned to his shirt activates it and the corridor illuminates with white light. Galo hops to the ground, checking to make sure his equipment is secure, and scans the empty, silent hallway.

It’s long and terminates in darkness at both ends.

“Okay, I’m in,” he says, voice hushed, though there shouldn’t be a need to be quiet.

“Awesome!” Lucia chirps instantly. “I’m layering your position over my blueprints, just give me a second—”

Galo eyes the darkness surrounding him warily. It’s not cold, but the air is stagnant and stale, sealed away for however many years, and Galo feels a chill worm its way up his spine. “It’s pretty creepy down here, Lucia.”

“Don’t be a baby,” she huffs. “You’re the one who’s usually all _balls to wall_ gung-ho about things.”

“I’m not saying I’m not up for it,” he protests. “Just stating a fact!”

“Alright!” Lucia cackles. “We’re good to go! I’m gonna give you directions and you have to follow them exactly, clear?”

“Clear.”

“Okay, so you’re gonna turn left and go to the end of that long corridor.”

Galo is vaguely familiar with the inner workings of the Parnassus, through diagrams in his textbooks and general knowledge that comes from living on top of the thing. He knows it’s a large, boxy ship that flew an entire city to its new home on Omega Centauri. Upon entering the atmosphere, the ship’s cannons blasted a hole big enough to land in so that the city could expand on the planet’s surface if necessary, meaning the actual ship part is completely underground and off-limits to citizens. Even Galo’s never been allowed down here.

It’s eerie and dark. Completely silent but for his footsteps echoing on the smooth, industrial metal as he traverses long empty hallways and utilitarian stairwells at Lucia’s careful instruction. Every once in a while, he passes a door, but they’re all windowless and Lucia never mentions them, so he just keeps winding deeper into the bowels of the ship. It really does feel like sneaking through the branching veins of a massive animal, except for the stillness. Everything is still. There’s no dust, but it definitely feels like nobody’s been down here for 20 years.

He’s walking past a nondescript stretch of wall when Lucia starts shrieking in his ear.

“There, there! Stop! Right there!”

He claps a hand over the earpiece and winces. “Okay! I’m stopping! What is it?”

“What is to your left right now?”

“Uh—” Galo scans the wall for anything noteworthy, eyebrow raised. “A wall? Looks pretty ordinary to me.”

“You sure there’s _nothing_ weird about it?”

Galo looks closer, angling his light up and down for a better view. As the beam sweeps over the edge of a panel to his right, something catches his attention. “Actually—” he creeps closer. “This area is a slightly different color from the panels around it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” Galo looks from one panel to the other. “A big patch in the center of this wall is a little darker.”

“ _Perfect_.” Galo hears a series of little popping noises, like Lucia is cracking her knuckles. “I think whatever is missing from the schematics is behind this wall.”

Galo’s stomach flips in anticipation. “Hell yeah! How do I get in?”

“You still have the box I gave you?”

“Yup!” Galo reaches into his utility belt and pulls out the strange device.

“Toss it up.”

Galo flicks his wrist, sending the box into the air, and it instantly expands, popping outward with a muffled _thwump_. Startled, Galo watches as two little propellers sprout from the top, catching the device in mid-air and whirring away cheerfully.

“What the—” Galo blinks at the device now hovering before him. It almost looks like a little tower, about a foot tall and wider at the base than at the top. “What is this thing?”

“Something I’ve been working on,” Lucia answers nonchalantly. “It’s got everything I’ll need to scan whatever we find, including a camera. You look stupid in this lighting, by the way.”

“That’s amazing, Lucia.” Galo holds his hand under the device like he would a butterfly, smiling as it bounces away from him. “But how’s it going to get me through this wall?”

“Oh, right—stand back.”

Galo complies, knowing full well what might happen if he gets caught in the radius of one of Lucia’s experiments.

The device centers itself in front of the strange patch of wall and hovers for a beat, buzzing softly. Then a beam of bright red energy shoots out of it, throwing fiery shadows across the hallway so suddenly that Galo holds a hand over his eyes to block the light.

The metal sizzles on contact with the beam and the acrid scent of burning chemicals fills the corridor. After a minute, the light shuts off and Galo lowers his hand to see that the laser has carved a circle of melted metal in the wall, the edges warped and still bubbling.

“That’s so fucking cool,” Galo says earnestly.

“All in a day’s work,” Lucia sings. “You should be able to push the metal out of the hole now.”

“Got it.” The metal is warm when Galo presses his hands against it, but not too hot to touch, and it gives easily with a little force, sliding out of the hole and dropping into the room waiting on the other side with a heavy _clang_. “After you—” he waves a hand at the hole.

“Aw, such a gentleman,” Lucia giggles as the device whirs past him, into whatever lies beyond.

Galo swings his leg into the hole and follows, heart thumping in his ears.

It’s pitch black, and wherever they are is too big for Galo’s flashlight to reach the walls. He angles it at the ground and finds the same smooth metal panels as the rest of the ship, but he’s hesitant to move forward into the sea of blackness.

“Hold on, I’ve got this—” Lucia says and the device flies forward, rising out of Galo’s pool of light. Then, with a flash, several lights flick on, beaming away from the device, stronger than Galo’s flashlight, throwing more of the area into sharp relief.

Galo feels his jaw drop. The light barely is enough to get an idea of the scope of the room they’re in, but Galo can tell it’s massive. The ceiling soars out of sight, and the space stretches endlessly in front him, but the increased light reaches the walls to either side and bounces back as though hitting a mirror.

Curious, Galo wanders closer, his footsteps echoing hollowly, and Lucia’s device bobs after him. The wall is weird, segmented like the rest of the walls in the ship, but each segment has a huge triangular window set into it. As the light falls across the glass, Galo is met with his own bleached, slack-jawed face. He jumps slightly.

“What are these?” Lucia wonders, moving her device closer to the window.

“I don’t know.” Cautiously, Galo extends a hand and brushes his fingers against the window. It’s smooth and cool under his touch. “The glass is black, but it’s not dirty.”

“Maybe there’s something on the other side blocking it.”

“Hm.” Galo paces further along the wall, finding even more triangular windows. He aims the flashlight upwards and is met with even more rows of black glass, glinting at him unfathomably. “They’re everywhere.”

“I’m scanning the room, hang on—”

The device buzzes away from him, beeping softly. Galo runs his hand over the glass again, considering it. His reflection stares back, tense. There’s something off about this place. While the rest of the ship felt stagnant, this place feels _heavy_. Galo can feel an unnamed pressure weighing on his shoulders, cloying and oppressive.

“Holy shit—” Lucia gasps. “This place is _huge_. This definitely accounts for the missing length in the blueprints.”

Galo steps away from the window and follows the device, peering into the darkness around them. “But where are we?”

“I’m not sure.” Lucia sounds frustrated. “I’m getting all sorts of readings, but it seems like those weird windows look into enclosed pods of some sort.”

“Pods?”

“Yeah and there are hundreds of them. They literally make up the walls of this place.”

“What’s inside them?”

“I’m picking up a mass of some sort, but I can’t tell what it is. It might just be a hunk of dormant technology.”

“Huh.” Galo glances back at the pods.

“And this whole room is shaped weird. The walls all sort of angle into the center. It looks like you’re basically in one arm of a giant spidery shape. I’m picking up something like a rail line too—I bet that’s how people actually accessed this place.”

“Why wasn’t this area in the blueprints?” Galo asks, drifting further into the cavernous space.

“I’m...not sure….” Lucia hums thoughtfully. “Looks like there’s some sort of structure suspended in the center of the room.”

Galo swings his light around. “Where?”

“Walk forward about a hundred feet— _carefully_.”

Following Lucia’s instructions, Galo picks his way across the dark metal floor, shining his flashlight around in the hopes of catching something interesting, until, suddenly, his beam disappears over a sharp line in the floor.

Galo draws up short, looking up as Lucia’s device flies ahead, lights blinking in the chasm yawning before him. “Holy shit.”

There’s no way for Galo to parse the true scope of the emptiness; none of their lights are strong enough to even brush the edges, but as Lucia’s device hovers farther, Galo thinks he catches something red glinting back at them through the darkness.

“Yeah,” Lucia agrees. “You seem to have come in at the end of some kind of long corridor, and it looks like there are identical corridors branching off of this central area.”

“Like the Foresight building?” Galo asks, head swimming with the impression of blind height he gets standing on the edge of this dropoff. He can’t exactly see the distance between himself and the ground, but that only makes it worse.

“Yeah, like that. I guess Kray has his aesthetic preferences.”

Galo squints at the glimmer of red in the distance. “Is that thing the control tower?”

“Yup.”

He grins. “Hover boots time?”

“Go for it!” Lucia urges. “There’s a rail a few dozen meters above you that leads right to whatever that structure is. Fly up to it and follow it so you don’t tip over.”

Galo angles his light up and it lands on a thin metallic railing shining far above him, stretching out into the darkness. “Good idea.” He flicks the switch on the wrist panel to initialize the thrusters and feels the activation hum all the way in his bones.

“Now, be careful,” Lucia warns. “They’re not fully tested, and balancing might be—”

“Don’t sweat it, Lucia,” Galo says glibly. “I’ve got this.” With a jolt, the thrusters overcome gravity and launch him into the air.

Galo’s stomach swoops as he leaves the ground, but he’s had enough experience flying in his mech that he only wobbles a few times, arms out to compensate, before he gets a feel for it. After that, it’s exhilarating, gliding upwards without the bulk of his mech surrounding him. He can’t resist an excited laugh.

“Having fun?”

“This is awesome, Lucia!” A tap to the panel increases the energy output and Galo speeds up, reaching out to snag the rail. He pulls himself close to it and adjusts his utility belt before starting to pull himself along, mindful to keep his feet under him.

The nothingness gaping beneath his floating feet sends Galo’s heart pounding, and he cautiously drags himself further into the central area, keeping his eyes on the approaching red glimmer and trying to put the massive void out of his mind. As he nears the structure, more of it falls under their light beams, revealing, meter by meter, a towering crimson prism. The glass is too dark for him to see inside, a deep red that reflects their lights eerily, and there don’t seem to be any visible openings.

The rail terminates at one of the massive shape’s peaked corners and when Galo reaches it, he presses his hands flat against the glass, scanning the surface critically. “You think this is a control tower?”

“Maybe—hang on—” There’s some clicking before Lucia speaks again. “Head toward the tip of that thing. I think I’m reading machinery up there.”

“Alright.” Galo increases the output on his boots and glides upward, dark red glass sliding past him as he guides himself along the sloped surface. He flies until the glass changes underneath him, lightening and giving way to windows closer to the top of the prism, then he lowers the power and hovers, peering into the darkness inside the structure.

“These windows are just glass—I could probably break one,” he offers.

“We’re not animals, Galo,” Lucia says reproachfully. “Let me handle this.”

The device whirrs over and once again starts lasering an opening, but this time the beam is green.

“This glass is super thick—” Lucia says, “—so we shouldn’t have to worry about it cracking.”

“How are we on time, by the way?” Galo asks.

“We should be good. Heris is talking now, and then there’s supposed to be some sort of presentation for the planned expansion.”

“Cool.”

“There.” The laser shuts off and the device moves back.

Galo pushes the glass circle into the structure and follows it through the hole, letting it fall to the ground with a hollow clinking sound. Another tap to his wrist panel turns the thrusters off and he lands heavily on the floor of—some sort of control room?

It’s a more enclosed space, so his light actually illuminates properly, falling on the computer panels lining the walls. It definitely looks like a control tower.

“Ooooh,” Lucia coos, guiding the device further into the room. “I think we’re in luck. I should be able to scan this tech to figure out what this room was used for.”

“Sweet.” Galo wanders farther, away from the device, which is busily beeping over one of the computer stations, and roves his flashlight around the area, taking in the dark monitors and many-buttoned consoles. As he walks around a large, dormant terminal, his light falls onto a raised metal panel built directly into the floor. “Oh, hey, look at this.”

“What?”

Galo crouches beside it, feeling around the beveled edges. “I think it’s some kind of hatch. It probably leads down into whatever’s in the rest of this structure.” He fingers skim over a lip carved into the metal and he grips it, pulling up.

It’s heavy and clearly disused, peeling out of its frame with a loud creak of protest.

Lucia’s device hovers over as he yanks the panel completely open, shining its lights into the darkness beyond, illuminating the top rungs of a ladder. “Huh.”

“How about you keep doing your thing and I’ll go down and check it out?”

“Okay. Let me know if something cool happens.” The device bobs away. “I’ll see if I can get some lights on in this place so we’re not stumbling around in the dark.”

“Good plan.” With a cheeky salute in the direction of the camera, Galo lowers himself into the opening and latches onto the ladder.

He climbs down for a while. It’s hard to get a sense of the distance in the complete blackness, but it’s several dozen rungs before Galo’s foot flattens against an actual surface. With both feet on possibly solid ground, he spins slowly, letting his flashlight fall on his surroundings.

The space inside the prism seems relatively open, except for what appear to be winding metallic branches snaking throughout the whole thing. Galo walks forward, peering at them curiously. The bits he can see don’t have any controls or obvious features, and, weaving between them, he realizes they all converge at the center of the room.

As Galo approaches, his light gleams off the surface of something white and round. The metal branches all seem to be feeding into it, radiating up and out and disappearing into the shadows of the prism. Tilting his head, Galo moves closer.

The thing is taller than Galo, built right into the floor, and made of a smooth white material. It’s cool to the touch but feels softer than metal as he trails a hand along the surface. As he rounds the sphere, stepping over and ducking under the attached branches, his hand meets an edge. He steps back slightly, realizing one side of the sphere is open, and aims his flashlight inside—

"Holy—fuck—!” he jerks back, heart leaping into his throat.

“What? What is it?” Lucia shouts in his ear. “Are you okay? What happened?”

Galo can only shake his head, staring forward while his heart pounds wildly in his chest, eyes fixed on the figure in the sphere.

“Hold on—I’m coming down!”

Distantly, Galo hears the device zoom through the hatch, and tries to slow his rapid heartbeat as it buzzes toward him through the winding rails. It quickly locates him and rockets over, throwing more light into the hollow cavity.

Galo blinks as his eyes finally adjust to what he’s seeing. It looks like...a statue. Of a person.

“What is that?” Lucia asks.

Pulse finally calming, Galo creeps closer, bracing one hand on the edge of the opening and leaning in to get a closer look. His flashlight glimmers off the surface of the shiny black stone, outlining the small frame, the outstretched arms secured to the inside of the sphere with metal clamps.

“It’s...a statue?” Galo whispers, unclipping his flashlight to angle it properly over the statue’s face. He’s met with delicate features, closed eyes, and a blank expression, all carved of the same gleaming black stone. “It’s, like...crazy detailed too.” He can see every hair of the statue’s short bob.

“Huh.” Lucia sounds puzzled. “Gimme a sec—I was just about to get us some more light.”

Rapid keystrokes sound through the com, but Galo can’t tear his eyes away from the statue’s impassive face. It’s a good head shorter than Galo, but he can’t tell if it’s depicting a man or a woman. It hardly matters—whoever it’s supposed to be, they’re beautiful.

With a mechanical buzz, more light bleeds into the pod and Galo leans back enough to note that some strip lighting set in the seams of the massive prism has switched on, bathing them in a dim glow, and confirming Galo’s assumption that the room is empty aside from the metal branches and the pod. The branches stretch all the way to the walls and melt into the thick red glass.

“I’ve managed to loop in a few house lights in the larger room too, so we should be able to get a better look now,” Lucia says.

Galo hums acknowledgment, turning back to the statue. It really is just— _so_ detailed. It’s wearing some sort of black collared jacket and a pair of high-waisted pants, which, as Galo looks closer, aren’t made of stone. Frowning, Galo pinches the material between his fingers, feeling the smooth leather against his skin.

“Weird,” he mutters. “It’s wearing real clothes.”

“Why?” Lucia asks.

Galo huffs, raising his eyes to the statue’s face again. “Wish I knew. Wish I knew what it was _doing_ here.” This whole thing—the hidden room, the glass panels in the walls, the clothed statue—it feels _off_. Every second they spend in here, the icy wrongness in Galo’s gut squirms deeper.

“Maybe it’s just an art piece,” Lucia suggests.

“Weird place for an art piece.” Galo raises his hand and brushes his fingertips against the stone of the statue’s cheek. It’s smooth and glossy and almost...warm?

The warmth radiates down Galo’s arm, zipping through him like an electric shock, and he yanks back, yelping.

“What now?” Lucia demands.

“I don’t know, it—”

His words are swallowed by a sharp cracking sound. It’s a sound Galo is very familiar with—the sound of stone splitting.

He stares, stunned, as a series of thin fissures spiderweb across the surface of the statue, emanating from the place he touched. Then, a tiny sliver of light beams from one of the cracks, glowing a hazy purple, and the stone illuminates from within, like someone flipped a switch.

“Shit—” Galo barely has time to shield his eyes before the light brightens painfully, pitching up so quickly Galo feels it like a physical slap. Lucia shouts something in his ear but it’s lost to the cacophony of splintering stone and rending metal.

The light fades almost as quickly as it came and Galo lowers his arm, blinking hesitantly into the sphere—

A pair of wide violet eyes locks with his.

“What the fuck—”

Heat punches him in the chest, sending him flying backwards before he can even _think_ , and he feels himself smash through the glass wall of the prism with a deafening _crash_. The world rushes sickeningly around him, ripping the breath from his lungs as he shoots back, propelled by an insane amount of force with no way to stop himself—

A familiar hum ignites in his feet with an upending swoop, but he’s at the wrong angle, and all the thrusters in his shoes can do is drive him backwards even faster. He doesn’t even have time to try and get his feet underneath him to cancel his trajectory before he’s crashing into hard metal, rolling from the momentum.

All he can do is grit his teeth and brace his arms over his head as the world spins sickeningly, banging painfully against the floor until, finally, he thuds heavily onto his back and slides, frantically reaching out for purchase on the smooth metal—

Then a weight slams into him from above, pinning him instantly in place, and he gasps involuntarily from the pain, right before his breath is cut off by a hand pressed against his throat.

He grabs blindly for the hand, blinking stars out of his eyes, and finds himself staring into the furious face of—the statue. It’s the statue. The statue is glaring down at him, eyes blazing, pinning Galo to the floor with a hand on his neck and its full weight on his chest.

“Where’s Kray?” It—he?—demands in a surprisingly deep voice, twisted with rage.

“What?” Galo chokes.

The statue snarls and raises his free hand. In his palm, a small, undulating flame springs to life.

Galo gapes. “What the—”

“Where?” the statue repeats, aiming his palm threateningly at Galo’s face, close enough for Galo to feel the heat of the fire.

Instinctively, Galo kicks out, levering himself up and catching the statue by surprise long enough to grab him by the wrists and flip their positions. “Who are you?” he asks, panting for breath, restraining the statue’s thin arms above his head. “How did you do that?”

The statue struggles madly against Galo’s grip, violet eyes narrowed, teeth bared. “Shut up—” he snarls, “—don’t play stupid—tell me where Kray Foresight is now!”

“What do you want with Kray?” Galo demands.

The statue _screams_ and Galo spies a flicker of light deep in his eyes, like the first ember of a campfire before it catches the kindling and ignites, and some buried instinct kicks in, jolting Galo backwards, off of the statue just in time to avoid the blast of flame that pours from his mouth.

“Holy fuck—” Galo ducks another spout of flame as the statue lunges after him. “Wait—stop! I don’t want to fight you, I don’t even know what’s happening!”

“Liar!” The statue raises a hand over his head and readies another flame and Galo is struck by how... _familiar_ he looks—

A red laser cuts between them and the statue jumps back, swiveling to glare at Lucia’s device as it zooms toward them.

“Galo!” Lucia is yelling. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Galo pants, dragging himself to his feet and wincing at the ache in his, well, everything. “I’m alive—I guess.”

“Who is that guy?” she asks shrilly.

Galo watches the statue dodge another laser, roll nimbly out of the way, and aim a short round of fire blasts at the device, which drops quickly to avoid them. “I don’t know—he’s screaming about Kray—and he’s got fire powers!”

“And he was a statue a minute ago!” Lucia adds.

The statue whips around, eyes glowing again and Galo prepares to leap away from another spout of flame—but then the statue hesitates, gaze fixing somewhere over Galo’s shoulder, and the light in his eyes darkens instantly.

Lucia’s device rears up, glowing as it charges another laser.

“Wait! Lucia!” Galo dashes over to it, waving his arms to get the camera’s attention. “Don’t—he’s—” he looks back over his shoulder.

The statue is staggering forward, focused on—the wall? From what Galo can tell, that blast knocked him right into one of the long corridors Lucia mentioned, maybe even the one he came from, if he remembers correctly, and the lights Lucia switched on are giving him a better grasp on the magnitude of this whole place. They’re close to one of the walls, and now it’s obvious that she was right about the pods completely covering the walls. They stretch impossibly upward and in every direction, dizzying in number, and, in this light, they look more gray than black. And the statue is stumbling toward one of the triangular windows, breathing so shallowly that Galo can hear his ragged inhales from where he is.

Slowly, the statue reaches out and lays a gloved hand on the opaque glass, staring wide-eyed as though trying to see inside.

“What is he doing?” Lucia asks.

Galo shakes his head. “I don’t know.” Cautiously, he takes a step forward.

The quiet tap of his foot on the floor jolts through the statue and he whirls around, fire once again sparking at his fingertips.

“Hey—” Galo raises his hand in surrender. “I don’t want to fight, I just—”

“Who _are_ you?” the statue demands.

“Galo Thymos,” Galo says calmly, ignoring how his heart hammers at the sight of the fire. “You can call me Galo, if you want.”

The statue’s eyes dart around suspiciously. “Where are we?”

“I’m, well—” Galo laughs awkwardly. “I’m not really sure where we are _specifically_ but generally we’re inside the Parnassus—”

“That much is obvious,” the statue snaps. “I meant _where are we_. What planet.”

Galo blinks. “We’re...on Omega Centauri.”

The statue’s face falls, and, honestly, it’s a little hard to watch as his features crumple into an expression of stunned misery. “No, that’s—that’s—” he looks back at the window, the fire in his hand sputtering out.

Galo dares another step forward. Then another. “Who are you?” he asks again.

“No—I—” the statue grabs his head, fisting his hands in his short, light green hair. “How is this possible?”

“Look—” Galo tries, “—I don’t want to hurt you—I’m just as confused as you are, so—”

Suddenly, the statue flinches, squeezing his eyes shut as a full-body shudder rips through him, and collapses to his knees. Galo lunges forward instinctively, ignoring Lucia’s warning shout.

“Are you okay?” Galo grabs the statue by the shoulders and almost recoils at the heat radiating from him, searing even through the leather of his jacket. “Whoa—!”

Trembling, the statue hunches forward, and before Galo can think of what to do, the air around them ripples unnaturally. Like heat waves rising off of overworked equipment, the air shimmers and, with a hollow hissing sound, starts to tear.

Galo stares in shock as the air in front of him rends itself apart, carving an angular, glitching hole in nothing. The space inside the hole glimmers, flashing purple, pink, indigo, slowly solidifying into—an outline—

For one instant, the outline crystallizes sharply into the shocked face of a woman. Distorted through the colorful haze, she stares in horror back at Galo, and Galo barely has time to take in her long bushy hair, tied back with a headband, and her raised hands, glowing with now-familiar flames, before the image snaps out of focus and the spinning, prismatic hole fizzles out, disappearing completely.

“What the fuck was—”

Gasping raggedly, the statue slumps forward, and Galo squeaks as he moves to catch him.

“Hey—are you okay? What just happened?”

The statue grits his teeth, raising one hand to fist in Galo’s shirt, but he’s breathing too heavily to speak.

“Galo!” Lucia cuts in urgently. “I don’t know what the fuck that was, but you’ve gotta get out of there!”

Galo tenses. “Why?”

“I’m picking up someone else in the Parnassus—they’re heading your way, a few stories up!”

“Shit—” Galo scans the statue frantically. He’s clearly in no state to walk, but they’ve got to go. “Sorry about this—” without thinking too much about it, he hauls the statue over one shoulder and stands quickly.

“H—hey—” the statue manages, but Galo’s already sprinting for the hole in the wall he used to get in, barely impeded by the statue’s negligible weight.

“You should be good to go out the way you came, but you have to hurry—” Lucia is saying as Galo clambers through the hole and takes off down the hall. “If someone sees all the destruction we left, the whole place will go on lockdown.”

“Not to mention I’m stealing their weird person-statue,” Galo mutters, shifting said statue up higher on his shoulder.

“God—I can’t even think about that right now!”

Galo races through the hallways, guided by Lucia, and her device whirrs rapidly after him, illuminating his path in place of his lost flashlight. The statue doesn’t say another word, hanging over his shoulder in unnerving silence the whole time.

When he reaches the hatch he entered from, Galo wastes no time scaling the ladder and pushing it open. The basement is still empty, as far as he can see, and he carefully climbs out and closes the hatch behind him.

“Okay, what the fuck do I do now?” he whispers harshly, adjusting his passenger as gingerly as he can to sit more properly in his arms.

“Hang on, hang on—” some shuffling on the other end of the comlink. “I’m calling Aina—her apartment is closer. Meet me there.”

“Got it.”

Lucia’s device gives a sad little beep and Galo barely has time to snag it out of the air as it collapses back into a little box. He tucks it into his utility belt, and checks on the statue as he races through the basement and into the elevator. The statue is either unconscious or too weak to move because he doesn’t react to Galo’s jostling or his whispered questions.

By some miracle, Galo doesn’t encounter anyone in the ground floor maintenance corridor, and soon he’s sneaking out a rear loading dock and speeding away from the Foresight building.

Fortunately, the path to Aina’s complex doesn’t take him past the plaza, but Galo still keeps a wary eye out. The streets are mostly empty, everyone still seemingly gathered for the speeches, and Galo manages to make it without being stopped.

By the time he’s slipping into Aina’s building, the statue is stirring in his arms.

“What—?” he slurs and Galo hushes him.

“Just be chill for like, two more minutes,” he begs, pounding up the stairs to Aina’s floor. “Everything’s fine, I promise.”

Aina shares a nice apartment with her sister in one of Parnassus’s orginal buildings and Galo is hoping against hope that she’s there instead of at the plaza. He should have called—

Thankfully, Aina does indeed rip her door open at Galo’s insistent banging, looking harried, phone in one hand. “Galo—what the fuck is Lucia talking about—oh my god—”

“Sorry, Aina—” Galo shoulders past her, into the apartment. “I’ll explain in a second.”

“ _Why_ do you have a person—?”

The statue goes rigid in his arms at the sight of Aina. “Ardebit—” he growls.

Galo shoots him a confused look. “Do you know her?”

“What the fuck is going on?” Aina demands.

“Okay—hang on—” Galo carries the now-squirming statue into Aina’s living room and sets him on the couch, gripping his shoulders firmly to keep him there. He still seems out-of-out, blinking dazedly and breathing shallowly as Galo kneels in front of him. “Sorry, but can you get him a glass of water or something?” He aims the question at Aina without looking away from the statue and she edges nervously out of the room.

The statue wraps a gloved hand around Galo’s wrist. “Galo Thymos,” he grits out, fixing Galo with rapidly-clearing eyes, and Galo almost starts in surprise.

“You remember my name!”

“You...you _just_ told me—”

“Well, yeah, but the circumstances—” Galo laughs awkwardly.

The statue glances around with open suspicion. “Where is this?”

“My friend’s apartment. We should be safe here.” Safe from what? Truthfully, Galo has no idea, but the whole situation is too weird, too _off_. He’s not sure why, but he knows that he made the right choice running from the Parnassus.

Aina re-enters the room, looking wary and approaches, holding out a bottle of water. Again, the statue bristles and starts to stand but Galo pushes him down. “It’s okay—this is my friend Aina—she’s cool—”

“Aina—” the statue hisses, eyes narrowing. “Demeter Ardebit’s youngest daughter.”

Aina’s jaw drops. “How do you know my mother?”

“What year is it?” the statue demands. “You—” he points at Aina, “—are supposed to be a child.”

“ _What?_ ”

“The last time I saw your mother, she was condemning me and hundreds of people to death! Where is she?!”

“What are you talking about?” Aina snaps. “My mother would never—!”

“Hey, hey—” Galo tries to cut in. “Guys—”

“If this is some sort of trick—” the statue continues furiously, “—you will all pay with your lives.” He holds up a hand, embers dancing at his fingertips.

“Galo—!” Aina yells.

“Where is Demeter Ardebit?” the statue demands heatedly, shooting to his feet.

“Whoa—!” Galo catches him around the waist, mindful of the fire glowing in his hand.

“Holy shit—!” Aina jerks backward, dropping the bottle with a plasticky thud.

“Where!”

“She’s dead!” Aina shouts, putting the chair between herself and the livid statue. “She’s been dead for five years!”

Flames sputtering, the statue gasps. “That’s not—” he grabs his head again and doesn’t resist as Galo guides him back down onto the couch.

“Galo, explain, now,” Aina orders, gripping the chair back with white knuckles.

“I will, just—”

Loud banging on the door draws their attention and the statue startles.

“Aina, please—” Galo jerks his head toward the door.

She huffs and stalks out of the room, lips pressed together.

“Can you relax with the fire, please?” Galo entreats, kneeling again in front of the statue. “We’re not going to hurt you.”

“This isn’t possible,” he mutters, eyes unfocused. “None of this is possible.”

"Trust me, we're all just as confused as you are."

“No, you don’t understand—” the statue fixes Galo with a blazing violet gaze. “The last thing I remember—I was on Earth.”

Galo swallows hard. “But—Earth was destroyed twenty years ago. The Parnassus colony has been on Omega Centauri for twenty years—”

“Everybody shut up! I’m here now!” Lucia’s shrill voice charges into the room seconds before the rest of her and Galo leans back to watch her race around, shedding bags as she goes. “I’m figuring this out!”

“Lucia, I swear to god if someone doesn’t explain what the hell is going on _right now_ —” Aina breaks off with a violent gesture and Lucia flaps her hands at her.

“I’m getting there, I’m getting there!” Lucia descends upon the statue so intently that both he and Galo recoil slightly. “I’m Lucia, nice to meet you, what’s your name?” she says in a rush.

The statue blinks. “Lio Fotia.”

Lucia nods as if that means something to her and Galo mentally slaps himself for not even asking the guy’s name before dragging him across the city.

“Okay, Lio—” Lucia pulls some sort of device from her pocket and starts fiddling with it. “I need you to tell me everything about everything.”

Lio glances suspiciously around the room. Galo tries to look encouraging.

“Hold on,” Aina protests, sounding miffed. “Explain to _me_ first. What is going on? Weren’t you two exploring the Parnassus today?”

“Yeah, I just came from there,” Galo sighs, sitting back on his heels. “Long story short, we found the area that was missing from the schematics and it was super weird and he—” he gestures at Lio, “—was there, but he was a statue? And then he turned into a person and now we’re here.”

“A statue?” Lio and Aina chorus.

Galo looks at Lio. “You didn’t know?”

“Know what?”

“That you were...made of stone or whatever.”

Lucia pops him on the back of the head. “Dummy—how would he know?”

“Ow!” Galo rubs the spot. “How would he _not_ know?”

“Look at this—” Lucia produces her tablet and scrolls through it, scooting forward on the couch cushions to hold it out for everyone to see when the holoscreen unfolds. “Footage from inside the Parnassus—”

The image jumps to life, roving over familiar computer terminals, washed out in the stark flood of the device’s flashlights. Lucia jumps the video forward, until the screen is full of metallic branches. As the camera moves to the strange pod, catching sight of the statue inside, Galo hears Lio suck in a breath. Aina looks rapidly between Lio and the dark stone figure.

“What the hell—” she mutters.

It’s just like Galo remembers it, but this time when the beam of light catches the statue’s flat expression, Galo feels a wave of vertigo crash over him. It’s _undeniably_ Lio’s face—everything happened so quickly in the ship that Galo’s brain didn’t have time to really catch up to the fact that _a statue came to life and attacked him_ , but now it’s all clicking together. It still doesn’t make sense, but at least he’s processing.

Lio is shaking his head, staring at the screen. “This...how long….” Eyes widening, he shoots to his feet so quickly that the other three jolt back. “I have to go back—”

“Hey, wait—” Galo grabs him by the wrist, rising with him. “Dude, that’s a super bad idea—”

Lio wrenches fruitlessly at his arm, glaring. “Let me go.”

“Don’t go storming off before we even know what’s happening.”

“But if I was—was _petrified_ , then the others might be—”

“Others?” Lucia cuts in.

“The other Burnish,” Lio responds, an edge of desperation creeping into his voice. “They were all in there with me.”

All the breath leaves Galo in a rush.

“Fuck—” Lucia curses, scrolling through her tablet again. “I thought—these readings—but it didn’t make any sense—”

Galo can’t look at her, caught in the tractor beam of Lio’s intense violet stare, mind whirring. “Burnish? As in—the people who sacrificed themselves to power the Parnassus—”

“Sacrificed ourselves?” Lio snaps, wrenching at his arm again. “How _dare_ you lie to me! Kray Foresight condemned us all to death—”

“No—”

“—children, the elderly—he forced us into those torture devices—for the sake of his _delusions_ —”

“Stop!” Galo’s chest feels tight. He doesn’t want to hear anymore. “How would you know—”

“I was there!” Lio finally succeeds in ripping his arm out of Galo’s grip and rounds on him, glaring furiously, teeth bared. He’s an entire head shorter than Galo, and Galo knows first-hand how slight he is under his weird strappy layers, but the force of his rage is leveling. “I watched him seal us into those pods—those coffins! He smiled in my face as he doomed all of us! Every Burnish he could get his hands on! Who are you, Galo Thymos, to tell me to stop?” His eyes flash, smoke curling out of his mouth. “Who _are_ you?” He looks wildly around the room. “Who are _any_ of you?”

Galo stares, heart hammering, any words he may have said evaporating in the heat rolling off of Lio’s body.

For a second, there’s only silence. Aina is staring blankly at Lio, jaw dropped, and Lucia is glaring at her tablet.

Lio lowers his head slightly, his choppy bangs swinging over his eyes. “If I am alive, the others may be as well. I have to go back. If any of you try to stop me—”

“Go back?” Galo snaps alert. “That’s—”

“Are you deaf? I said—”

“Everyone, shut up!” Lucia commands loudly, drawing their attention as she clambers to her feet on the couch cushions. She’s still barely as tall as Lio. “Lio—” she starts seriously, “—we’re not against you. We’re just trying to understand what’s happening. You have questions, too, right?”

Lio blinks at her and the smoke tapers off. “Yes,” he admits begrudgingly.

“See? We’re all on the same side here. Right, Galo?” Now she fixes Galo with a stern look.

Galo rubs the back of his neck anxiously. “Yeah, I—I’m just—we’re cool, I just—” he breaks off, running a hand through his hair. “I wanna know...what’s going on.”

“So do I.” Aina appears at Galo’s elbow, peering at Lio and rolling a new bottle of water between her hands. “Whatever happened, it’s obvious that something is...wrong.” Brows furrowing, she extends an arm, offering the bottle to Lio. “Let’s cool off, okay?”

Lio regards her thoughtfully. Then, carefully, he reaches out and accepts the bottle. “Okay,” he says evenly. “I am sorry for lashing out at you.”

Aina waves dismissively, smiling. “Nah, no problem. Just startled me a little.”

“The fire thing is, like—” Galo gestures expansively. “Crazy cool, by the way.”

Lio’s expression when he turns to Galo is less thoughtful and more considering. “You’re very energetic after that strike earlier.”

“Oh, that?” Galo rubs his chest distractedly. “That was nothing. Takes more than a flaming statue to take me down.”

“Hm.” Lio twists the cap off the bottle. “Admittedly, I went easy on you.”

“ _That_ was easy?”

“I didn’t recognize you so I figured I’d keep you alive, at least.”

Galo sags backward into a chair. “Jeez, thanks.” Now his chest _and_ pride are aching.

Lio’s expression pulls down into something more contrite. “Are you injured?”

“No, just sore.”

“What happened?” Aina asks.

“Okay, hang on—” Lucia bounces back into her seat, tapping at her screen. “We can’t keep going in circles. We need to get organized—everyone come here and watch the whole video.”

A few minutes and a lot of aghast looks from Aina later, Lucia cuts the video off as her own voice is advising Galo to flee the scene.

“So,” she starts, crammed between Galo and Aina on the three-person couch. “We’ve got a lot to think about.”

Galo darts a glance at Lio, seated on his other side. He looks slightly stricken, face pale, eyes still fixed on the spot the holoscreen disappeared. Rigidly, he rises, and Galo watches as he crosses the room to the large window that comprises one wall. Aina had the curtains drawn, but now Lio grabs one and slides it aside, admitting a wash of sunlight. The buildings across from Aina’s glitter, all glass and chrome, and above them, the smooth blue of the sky stretches endlessly, interrupted only by the sun and the gleaming outline of Selene.

Framed in the window with his back to Galo, Lio is a slim, dark stain on the bright, familiar scenery.

Galo exchanges looks with Lucia and Aina, who both shrug, expressions pinched.

Steeling himself, Galo stands and follows, stepping up beside Lio cautiously. Lio doesn’t react to him, continuing to stare out the window, and his profile is hard to read, lips thin, eyes shining. The sunlight bleaches his pale green hair nearly white. When he speaks, he’s almost too quiet for Galo to hear:

“That moon is not my moon.”

Galo flicks a look at Selene. It’s a fairly smooth satellite, most features blasted away by exposure, so it sits in the sky as a whole, ghostly disc. “We have two. Hecate orbits and is only visible at night. Selene, that one—” he gestures weakly, “—is locked in place or something and is up there all the time.”

“It has a geostationary orbit, Galo—” Lucia pipes up, “—read a book, please.”

When Galo looks back at Lio, he’s smiling grimly, head tilted up to stare at Selene. “This truly isn’t Earth.” He lets out a humorless laugh. “He really did it. I’m almost impressed.” His fists clench, and Galo can hear the creak of the leather from this distance. “Kray Foresight is here, right?”

Galo swallows, a sick pit crawling open in his stomach. “Yes.”

Lio takes a deep breath and turns around. “I was the leader of a group of Burnish freedom fighters, back on Earth,” he begins steadily, and Galo spies Lucia leaning forward eagerly while Aina watches with trepidation. “We worked to free Burnish from captivity and rescue newly awakened Burnish before they could be apprehended. I know there were other cells around the world, but we operated mainly in Promepolis. We were...not popular.”

Galo bites his lip, torn between excitement at hearing about a time the older folks in the colony are so hesitant to talk about and hesitation at facing whatever truths Lio might reveal.

“I thought that we might be able to make some progress when I made contact with a prominent Burnish researcher,” Lio continues. “Professor Prometh had made _massive_ discoveries about the nature of the Burnish, and he shared his research with me—we were working on a way to inhibit the more destructive side-effects of being Burnish, but then—” Lio presses his lips together. “The last time I heard from Prometh, he was trying to warn me about something Kray Foresight was planning. Then he disappeared. We performed a raid on a Foresight lab to liberate the Burnish trapped there, but one of the prisoners—betrayed us. Our settlement was seized and every single person we’d rescued was captured. Hundreds of us, plus hundreds more already in captivity.”

Galo’s ears are ringing. He doesn’t want to hear anymore, but Lio doesn’t stop—

“Kray had developed a machine that used the power of the Burnish to facilitate warp travel and he planned to take a colony to a nearby planet and establish himself as mankind’s saviour.” Lio sneers. “The earth _was_ in danger, but Prometh knew why and we were—we were trying to _stop_ it. I tried to tell Kray, but he didn’t want to listen. The engine was already complete—everything happened so quickly there was nothing—” Lio cuts off, clenching his jaw and breathing in sharply through his nose. “The last thing I remember—Kray was ordering Dr. Ardebit to initiate the engine, and now—” he gestures stiffly at the window behind him. “I suppose that means Earth is….”

“Gone,” Lucia finishes grimly. “That’s what we’ve always been told.”

“Lucia—” Galo says raggedly. “Is this—?”

She shrugs helplessly. “The readings I got in that big room make it look like it was an engine,” she admits. “And—I mean, we always knew the Burnish powered the ship—”

“By our own choice, right?” Lio cuts in bitterly.

“Everyone always said—” Aina’s face is ashen as she leans over her knees, head in her hands, “—that the Burnish _offered_ , that they knew the risks—”

The pit in Galo’s stomach deepens. It’s horrible, it’s _unthinkable_. It goes against everything Galo has been taught, his admiration for Kray, his gratitude to the Burnish for their sacrifice—none of it was real. He should protest, cite Kray’s nobility and kindness. Nobody knows Kray better than Galo, so he should—

But Lucia and Aina are both pale and quiet, and even he can feel the dread creeping over him, icy claws digging into the myth he always worshipped and tearing it apart. Lio has no reason to lie, and regardless of the details, he’s clearly been through something terrible. Something unimaginable.

“It’s...it’s only been twenty years,” Galo rasps after a beat of tense silence. “We were only kids on Earth, but a lot of people in the colony were older—they would have known—why didn’t they….” Ignis’s sorrowful reverence at mentions of the Burnish was too understated to be fake, but could everyone in Parnassus be in on some massive, disgusting lie?

Lucia worries at the hem of her jacket. “The story always goes that the Burnish went to Kray personally—maybe everyone else is just as ignorant as we were.”

“My mom always told me—” Aina’s voice is soft, strained, “—that she wished she had more time. To make the engine safer. When she...when she killed herself, I thought it was guilt.” She laughs hollowly, pressing her hands over her eyes. “I guess it was.”

Lio opens his mouth like he’s going to say something, but after a second he closes it again, dropping his gaze to the floor.

“Do you think—” Lucia starts hesitantly, “—that Heris knows?”

Aina shakes her head. “I don’t know. She _has_ to, right?” Dropping her hands, she flicks tired eyes around the room. “She’s Kray’s head scientist.”

Lio crosses his arms. “It’s possible—” he breaks off, wincing, and holds a hand to his forehead.

“Hey—” Galo reaches for him but doesn’t touch. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s—” Lio gasps, stumbling forward. “Like—back in the engine room—”

“Oh shit.” Lucia shoots to her feet, rummaging in her bag. “I need to—”

Lio falls to his knees, breathing roughly, and Galo follows him down. “Wait, is it that—that rift thing or whatever?” he asks, tendrils of panic curling through him.

Lio grits his teeth. “This is—” his words are lost as discordant buzzing fills the room, hair-raising and sudden.

Galo’s ears pop and he grabs Lio, instinct taking over just as the air ripples in front of them, unzipping again. The split pulses with color, shifting rapidly through the spectrum as the noise mounts, singing into Galo’s bones. Then, with a rush of heat, the hole snaps into focus, chromatic haze clearing to reveal the same woman from earlier, staring wide-eyed at them and brandishing what looks like a baseball bat.

Before Galo can react, she’s shouting: “Who are you? How are you doing this? What do you want!”

Lio is shaking his head, dazed, and Galo is speechless. Fortunately, Lucia darts to his side, some device in hand, inspecting the rift with single-minded determination.

“Excuse me,” she says, all business, “can you tell me where you are?”

“What?” the woman says, adjusting the bat nervously. “ _Where_?”

“Yes, your location. I’m getting all sorts of interdimensional interference….”

“Who _are_ you people?” the woman demands. “Answer me, or—or I’ll—!”

“Wait—” Lio rasps, pushing away from Galo. He staggers upright and approaches the rift, hair waving in the energy blasting across the room, focused on the woman. “You...you’re Burnish, right?”

Oh right, Galo remembers now that her hands were flaming the first time they saw her. The woman swallows visibly, shrinking back. “What does that matter?” she asks shrilly.

“I am too.” Lio produces a palmful of fire. “And you can feel it, can’t you? We’re connected.”

She stares at Lio and lowers the bat slightly. “Connected?”

“Can’t you sense it?”

“I—” she creeps closer again, “—I feel...something—” she shakes her head. “Who _are_ you?”

“My name is Lio Fotia.”

“I’m...Thyma.” She darts nervous looks at Galo, Lucia, and Aina, just now peering over Lucia’s shoulder.

Galo waves. “I’m Galo!” He points at the girls in turn. “Lucia, Aina—Thyma, where are you in the colony right now?”

“Colony?” She furrows her eyebrows. “I don’t know what you mean. I live downtown.”

“Downtown Parnassus?” Lucia asks.

“What?”

Lio extends a hand, tracing the edges of the rift. “She...isn’t on this planet. This is a window through space-time.”

“Holy shit!” Lucia squeaks. “That makes way more sense with the readings I’m getting! Thyma—” she leans forward eagerly. “What planet are you on?”

Thyma scowls. “Is this a trick?”

Aina giggles hysterically. “I _wish_ this was a trick.”

“Thyma,” Lio says solemnly. “You’re on Earth, aren’t you?”

Galo’s stomach flips.

Thyma looks between them like they’re all crazy. “Of course. Where else would I be?”

“What year is it?” Lucia asks quickly.

“It’s...thirty A.B.”

“Oh my god,” Aina breathes. “You’re serious? You’re really on Earth now?”

“Yes.” Thyma looks baffled. “Why? Where are you?”

“We’re part of a human colony on Omega Centauri established twenty years ago,” Lucia explains rapidly before turning to Lio. “You seem to know something about what’s going on—please tell me everything.”

“Wait!” Thyma yelps. “You’re—Omega Centauri?” She drops the bat completely, looking stunned. “You’re not—you can’t be from the Parnassus migration?”

“That’s right,” Aina says.

“No, that’s—” Thyma shakes her head. “We thought...the ship disappeared—everyone thought you all died.”

“We thought _you_ all died!” Galo bursts out. “We thought the whole Earth was toast!”

“I mean—the eruptions were really bad, but—hang on, I still don’t believe this!” Thyma peers incredulously at the portal. “This is...crazy! How am I seeing you?”

Lio extends a hand toward the rift, as though trying to reach into it, but his hand stops in mid-air, pressing flat like he’s come up against a pane of glass. “Our Promares are connecting,” he mutters. “Even across light years. I can feel them now—they’re trying to reach me.”

“Promares?” Lucia echoes, puzzled.

Thyma holds out a shaking hand, mirroring Lio from her side of the rift. “I—I don’t know what’s going on—” she takes a deep breath. “But I can feel something, like a tug. I think I’m supposed to help you, but—” her face scrunches up. “I don’t know how! Or why!”

“Obviously the Promare want something from us,” Lio says. “There’s just—” he breaks off, wincing again, and the rift flickers, hazing out at the edges.

“Lio?” Thyma calls, jerking back from the portal with a panicked look. “What’s—?”

“I can’t—” Lio grabs his head, staggering. “I don’t have enough—”

The rift contracts rapidly and Galo barely has time to shield his face before it bursts outward, dissolving into twinking embers with a cacophonous pop.

Lio slumps and Galo snags him before he hits the ground.

“Oh my fucking god what the _fuck_ is going on—” Aina paces away, hands in her hair, while Lucia types frantically on her tablet.

Lio groans, eyes squeezed shut as Galo helps him sit up properly. “Dude, why does this keep happening?” Galo asks.

Shaking his head, Lio puts a hand to his temple. “I...I don’t know—opening the rift takes...a lot of energy.”

“Lio, you mentioned something called a Promare?” Lucia kneels beside him. “What is that?”

Lio sags against Galo slightly, clearly exhausted. “Professor Prometh discovered that the Burnish’s power came from a race of interdimensional fire aliens trapped in the Earth’s core due to a time-space disruption thirty years ago.”

Galo blinks. Lucia makes a note.

“People who are prone to synchronizing with the Promare are able to use their power to create and control fire. The Promare all share a telepathic bond, which calls out to each other even from inside the Burnish, so if the Burnish are threatened, the other Burnish and the Promare themselves are at risk. The stress of the segregation back on Earth was agitating the Promare in the core, causing the eruptions, so we were working together to spread awareness, but when he disappeared—” Lio presses his lips together. “Everything fell apart.”

“Hm.” Lucia scrolls back through her notes. “This is all...wild.” She quirks an eyebrow at Lio. “You also said you could sense Thyma—can you still?”

“No. Only when the rift was open. Now, and since I woke up—I can barely feel the Promare at all, but the link is still there somehow. Faint, but there.”

“If you weren’t still connected or whatever—” Galo starts, “—would you not be able to do the fire thing?”

“That’s right. And I don’t...have access to my full abilities right now. I can tell that I’m diminished.” Lio rests his elbows on his knees, staring at his hands with a troubled frown. “Which...could be really bad.”

Before Galo can ask what he means, the quiet chime of Aina’s TV turning on sounds, followed by the low, beeping tones of the Sight System jingle, and they all whip around to see words begin scrolling across the screen. Every building in Parnassus, including the ones built during expansions and in the settlements, is connected by an emergency broadcast network called the Foresight System, so that messages can be relayed quickly in the event of solar flares or tectonic disasters. Almost everyone just calls it the Sight System, though. The main, enormous screen is mounted on the front of the Foresight building, visible for hundreds of meters to anyone in the plaza. So Galo knows that everyone in the city is seeing the same thing, hearing the same smooth mechanical voice:

“Attention citizens—there is a terrorist at large in Parnassus. Do not panic. Report any sightings of the following individual—”

An image flashes on the screen and it’s undeniably Lio, short green hair, piercing violet eyes, arms immobilized in some sort of metallic box, small frame rigid as he’s detained between two much larger people. Galo stares at the picture, the pit in his stomach widening into a gaping, freezing chasm.

“—Freeze Force will be patrolling and performing searches. Cooperate and you will not be harmed. This is all to maintain the continued safety of the colony.”

The message repeats, but it fades into a synthetic buzz as Galo meets Lucia’s stricken gaze. Aina sags into a chair.

Lio pushes away from Galo, mouth set in a firm line. “I have to go.”

“Go where?” Galo finds himself asking.

“Back.” Lio rises unsteadily. “The other Burnish might still be there—and I can’t stay.” He glances at the TV. “If Freeze Force is looking for me, all of you will be implicated.”

“Dude, you can barely stand, there’s no way—”

“I’ll be fine.”

“What are you even going to do when you get there?”

“Free them,” Lio says intently.

Galo pushes himself to his feet. “How?”

Lio angles a look at him. “How did you do it?”

“I don’t know!” Galo spreads his hands helplessly. “I don’t know anything! I just touched you and you—” he gestures up and down Lio’s figure, “—cracked! Like an egg!”

Pursing his lips, Lio scans him. “That is a little strange. You’re not Burnish, are you?”

“Uh—” Galo casts his mind back through his memories. “I don’t...think so?”

“No, you’re not. I’d be able to sense it.” Lio crosses his arms. “Hm.”

“I’m sorry,” Aina cuts in. “Are we just going to ignore the fact that Freeze Force has apparently been re-established and is looking for you?”

“That’s why I should leave.” Lio turns but is quickly blocked by Lucia.

“Wait! You can’t go out there, you’ll get caught!” she insists, skinny arms spread to bar his way out of the living room.

“I’ve dealt with Freeze Force before,” Lio says dismissively.

“Why are you so eager to get killed?” Galo snaps.

Lio whips around to glower at him. “Why are you so eager to protect me? You don’t even know me!”

“I don’t want to see you dead!”

“You’ll _all_ be dead if I stay here any longer!”

He has...a point, and some tiny, often-ignored rational part of Galo’s brain is whispering that involving himself any further would be suicide. If Lio is right about everything, there’s something rotten in Parnassus, and Galo knows first-hand the lengths Kray will go to achieve his goals—

But looking down at Lio, who’s glaring up at him, deep shadows under his furious eyes, pale and trembling faintly, a reedy desperation obvious in the set of his jaw and the curl of his fists—Galo can’t leave him alone.

“I’m a rescuer,” he says firmly. “And you—” he prods Lio in the shoulder, earning an incredulous look, “—need help. So suck it up and deal with it.”

Lio gapes at him for a second. “You—” sighing, he pinches the bridge of his nose. “You really are an idiot, aren’t you?”

“Yup!” Galo chirps.

“He really is,” Aina agrees drolly as Lucia nods. “But I guess that makes us all idiots,” she goes on. “Because I couldn’t just throw you to the wolves like that either. Whatever the truth is, if Freeze Force is after you, you’re doomed on your own.” She shudders. “I heard all sorts of stories about them from mom.”

“And the fact that they’re calling you a terrorist—” Lucia raises her eyebrows pointedly. “They’re scared of something, that’s for sure.”

Lio looks around the room, surprise plain on his face. “You’re all being foolish.”

“Save it,” Galo says. “We need to figure out what to do next.”

“Right—” Lucia taps at her tablet. “Getting back into the Parnassus is going to be nearly impossible right now, but—”

Her words are cut off by the clatter of the front door opening, followed by Heris’s voice calling into the apartment.

“Aina! You’re here, right?”

Galo exchanges panicked looks with Lucia and Aina. Aina leaps into action, quickly herding Galo and Lio toward the hallway. “Yeah, I’m here,” she shouts back, gesturing frantically to the door Galo knows leads to her bedroom.

Galo pulls Lio in after him and shuts the door, pressing his ear against it and listening as Aina returns to the living room.

“Oh, Lucia, you—you’re here—” Heris’s voice says. She sounds winded, even muffled through the door. “That’s—okay—”

“What’s up, sis?” Aina asks. “You seem nervous.”

“No, it’s just—Aina, have you seen Galo?”

A half beat of silence, then Aina’s voice: “Why?”

“The Governor is looking for him,” Heris explains and Galo curses internally. Even if his phone is untraceable and there were no cameras in the basement, the rest of the Foresight building is definitely monitored; he should have known Kray would suspect something. “You—you saw the bulletin, and—”

“You don’t think Galo has something to do with the terrorist, do you?” Aina interrupts.

“That’s not what I’m saying, I just want to know if you’ve seen him. He...it’s possible he’s in danger.”

“Danger?” Aina gasps. Galo almost snorts at her acting and Lio raises an eyebrow at him, squeezing in beside him to press an ear to the door as well.

“The terrorist they’re looking for,” Heris goes on, sounding strained, “—he’s incredibly dangerous. There’s no telling what he might do.”

“Where did he even come from? I don’t recognize the picture, but he has to be a colonist, right?”

“That’s—” Heris makes a pitchy, distressed sound. “It’s complicated, but he’s not a colonist.”

Galo narrows his eyes. That kind of sounds like Heris knows about the situation with the Burnish.

“How’s that possible?” Aina asks lowly.

“Aina—when did you last see Galo?”

Another beat of silence. “At work yesterday.”

“Are you _sure_?”

“Yes. He had plans for today so we weren’t going to hang out.”

“I...I see.” Heris sounds relieved.

A sharp pop in his ear alerts Galo that his earpiece is turning back on and he winces, leaning away from the door as Lucia’s voice comes through the comlink.

“Galo, you and Lio have to get out—now,” she whispers urgently.

Galo turns sharp eyes on Lio, who picks up his tension instantly and goes on alert. “Why? What’s going on?”

“I’m in the kitchen—I got suspicious and turned on one of my scanners and I’m picking up people in the hall outside the apartment. They’re just waiting—I think they followed Heris.”

“How do they know we’re here?”

“I don’t know if they do, but if they search the apartment—”

“Shit—” Galo looks around the room. The only other exit is the window, but they’re on the ninth floor. Galo peers through the glass, searching for anything they could use to climb down— “We can only go out the window, but we’re so high up, I don’t—”

“Galo! Your boots!”

Galo gasps, kneeling down to check his shoes. “Will they have enough charge?”

“Oh, hell yeah, those babies can go for days—” Lucia sounds a little proud. “And they should support you both, unless Lio is over two-hundered pounds.”

“Trust me, he’s not.”

Lio makes an impatient hand gesture at him and Galo waves him off. “Okay—we’re gonna do that, but first—” Galo crosses to Aina’s closet and slides the door open. “Sorry, Aina,” he mutters. After a little quick rifling, he finds what he’s looking for—an old black hoodie he remembers leaving here at some point. He snags it as well as one of Aina’s own jackets for good measure, a plain navy one. “Here—” he tosses the navy jacket at Lio. “Put this on—you’re super recognizable.”

Lio frowns but complies, shrugging the jacket over his distinctive leather top and flipping the hood up over his green hair.

Galo tugs the black hoodie on, noting that it’s a little tight in the arms and smells like Aina’s laundry detergent. How nice of her to wash it.

“Okay, here we go—” Galo coaches himself, sliding the window open and letting in a rush of cool air that ruffles the papers pinned to Aina’s walls. “This is gonna be fine and totally cool—”

“ _What_ are you doing?” Lio hisses.

“Lucia says there are people in the hall, so we’ve gotta get out,” Galo explains quickly, turning back to him.

Lio narrows his eyes. “By going out the window? Normally, I can fly with my Burnish flames, but right now—”

“Whoa, you can fly?”

“Focus, please.”

“Right—” Galo sets those questions aside for later, “—I’ve got us covered.” He points at his boots. “Hover shoes. Super cool. Don’t even worry about it.”

Lio looks dubious.

“Galo!” Lucia hisses in his ear. “They’re coming in!” Indeed, Galo can hear banging and heavy stomping from outside the door, accompanied by Aina’s indignant voice.

“We’ve gotta go,” he insists, setting one foot on the window ledge and extending a hand to Lio. “Come on!”

Lio glances back at the door, then at Galo, lips pressed together.

“Lio—” Galo begs, “—please, trust me.”

Something hardens behind Lio’s eyes and then his hand is in Galo’s and he’s climbing onto the ledge, the wind whipping his hair around his face. “Let’s go.”

Galo can’t help the grin that spreads across his face. “Hang on to me.” He yanks Lio against him, one arm tight around his slim waist, and leaps out the window.

A rush of wind, a blur of color—Galo’s stomach swoops as gravity yanks him downward and it’s almost enough to distract him from the sensation of Lio’s arms locking around his neck. His heart thunders in his ears with the thrill and he has to resist the temptation to whoop gleefully before the thrusters activate with a now-familiar buzz.

Their rapid descent slows instantly and Galo hits a command on the wrist-panel to guide them into a controlled sink. Lio looks down, eyebrows raised, as though he’d been expecting them to plummet and die, and Galo can’t swallow his laugh in time.

“Neat, huh?”

Lio casts him an unimpressed glance. “I hope we weren’t trying to be stealthy.”

Indeed, several people on the street have come to a stop, staring at them as they drift down. Galo shrugs and reaches over to pull Lio’s hood farther over his green head. “Better than fighting off a bunch of dudes in an apartment.”

The glint in Lio’s eyes indicates that he’d like nothing better than blasting a bunch of people with fireballs at that exact moment. Honestly, Galo never turns away from a good fight either. Maybe later.

“You two! Freeze!”

Or maybe now.

“Shit—” Galo feels his shoes hit pavement just as a huge, sleek mech stomps around the corner of the building, leveling a bulky weapon at them. “Lucia, they’re down here too!”

She curses and Galo’s attention is commandeered by the mechanical whine of the guy’s gun charging up.

“Step away from the terrorist, Galo,” comes the deep voice from inside the helmet. Galo can’t see who’s in there, but pretty much the entire colony knows him. “You have no idea how dangerous he is.”

“Is that right?” In his periphery, Galo sees the curious onlookers backing up in fear and he tightens his grip on Lio. “Well, how about we—” before he can finish, Lio is ducking out of his grip, springing at the mech with acrobatic grace.

The dude jerks back, swearing, and discharges his weapon with an explosive _pop_ , but Lio rolls deftly out of the way, sliding under the mech and aiming a concentrated blast of fire at the underside of the gun’s massive barrel, which ignites instantly. Shouting, the dude flings the weapon away, frantically trying to pat out the flames spreading up his arms.

Galo stares dumbly as Lio rolls away and back to his feet, flicking his hair out of his eyes and pulling his hood back on. “Looks like they’ve been slacking on the anti-Burnish tech in the last twenty years,” he remarks disdainfully.

When the weapon discharged, the onlookers scattered fearfully and Galo eyes the spray of jagged ice now sprouting from the road where the shot hit. “Holy shit.”

The dude stumbles away, desperately trying to disengage from his mech as the armor sizzles around him.

“Galo, they’re heading toward you!” Lucia yells over the comlink. “Get out of there!”

Setting aside his shock, Galo jumps into action, grabbing Lio’s hand as he runs past. “We’ve gotta go!”

“What about your friends?”

“They’ll be fine—” the sound of a door blasting open interrupts him and Galo looks over his shoulder to see a swarm of heavily armoured people pour out of Aina’s apartment building. “Fuck!”

Lio looks back too, and just as the Freeze Force agents spot them, he spreads his hand and a wall of twisting flame erupts right in front of their boots, forcing them to fall back, shouting.

Galo tugs Lio around a corner and thinks quickly. With the emergency broadcast, the entire city will be on high-alert, so even if they do manage to find a place to hide, it won’t last long. What they need to do is get out of the city proper, preferably long enough to fall off Freeze Force’s radar, but just taking off into the rocky wilderness of Omega Centauri is dangerous. If they get caught in a solar flare, they’re toast—

Heavy footfalls thunder behind them and Galo ducks into an alley to his left, dodging around a rack of motorbikes. Lio keeps pace surprisingly well, given his much shorter stride, but they can’t just run forever. Leaping over another bike, Galo is struck by the solution.

“Lucia—” he barks, racing down a connecting alley, “—I need to get to my building. Is there any way you can guide me?”

“If you’re asking whether or not I stuck a tracker on Vulcan when he barged in here, the answer is who do you think I am?”

Galo grins, despite the revelation that Vulcan is among their pursuers. “Awesome.”

“I only got the one, though—if they split up—”

“We’ll deal with that if it happens.”

“What’s going on?” Lio demands.

Galo rounds a corner and pulls up short, pressing his back to the wall and pulling Lio against him as he peers back the way they came. “I have to get to my bike—” he explains breathlessly. “We’ll never lose them on foot.”

Lio peeks around the corner as well, hands flat against Galo’s chest. “And then what?”

“I think I know a place we can go. The city is too small, so we can’t stay here—”

More stomping makes Galo go rigid, whipping his head out of sight and yanking Lio tighter against him.

“Where did they go?” a deep voice asks, uncomfortably close.

“They couldn’t have gone far—” a different, more guttural voice growls, and Galo feels Lio tense at the sound. “Fan out and find them!”

“Yes, Commander Vulcan!” several voices chorus, and the name makes Galo flinch.

“Vulcan—” Lio spits and Galo barely has time to tighten his grip to prevent him from lurching out in the open.

“Are you crazy?” Galo hisses, dragging a struggling Lio further down the alley. “You’ll get killed!”

“Let me go—!” Lio’s hands are hot where they’re fisted in Galo’s hoodie. “That murdering bastard is still alive—!”

Galo claps a hand over Lio’s mouth, inching around another corner. “You can’t take Vulcan by yourself.”

The look Lio angles him says _watch me_ , but Galo just shakes his head and holds tight, ears straining at the sound of boots stomping the pavement nearby.

“Looks like Vulcan is moving away from you, Galo,” Lucia chimes in, sounding strained.

“Got it.” Carefully, Galo releases Lio, who steps away with an aggrieved expression. “Come on—we’ve gotta get moving.”

Lio is still coiled with anger, but he follows Galo down the alley anyway.

* * *

With Lucia’s guidance, they manage to wind their way through the streets, dodging Freeze Force agents and suspicious civilians the whole time. When Galo’s building comes into view, he ducks behind a row of decorative topiaries and Lio kneels beside him, looking pale.

“You okay?” Galo asks, eyeing him over.

He nods, but he’s obviously flagging, shoulders tense and jaw tight. Their mad dash through the streets must be weighing on him. He’s so vital and waspish that it’s easy for Galo to forget that he was completely petrified maybe an hour ago, not to mention whatever toll the portals seem to be taking on him.

“Hang tight,” Galo whispers, lifting up to peer over the bushes. “I know a place we can lay low for a bit.”

“Heads up—” Lucia sounds in his ear, “—I think Vulcan switched suits or something because the tracker I stuck on him has been in the same spot for a while now.”

Galo presses his lips together, scanning the area anxiously. The last thing he wants to do is run into Vulcan right now.

At first glance, his building seems to be unguarded, but it would be stupid for them to ignore it completely, so Galo isn’t taking any chances. When, after a moment, the street remains empty, Galo reaches down, intending to tap Lio on the shoulder, and he nearly jumps at the sensation of Lio’s hand sliding into his.

Swallowing, he squeezes slightly and creeps out from behind the bushes. When no one shoots at them, he takes off, pulling Lio across the street and into the alley beside his building. His bike is parked in the underground garage, which is accessed from the alley, so as long as nothing goes majorly wrong in the next few minutes, they should be golden.

They run down the incline into the cool, dim interior of the garage. There aren’t many cars, most of the tenants probably out for the holiday, and Galo quickly spots his bike exactly where he left it in his parking spot. “Okay, here we go—“ he slows to a stop beside it, but before he can throw his leg over the seat, a screeching, mechanical clanking sound bounces off the concrete walls.

“Galo, Galo, Galo,” a familiar, leering voice growls, and Galo whirls around, yanking Lio behind him as Colonel Vulcan stomps into view from behind a structural pillar, armor gleaming dully in the watery overhead light. “What do you think you’re doing, kid?”

“Vulcan—“ Galo starts, feeling sweat bead on his forehead. Vulcan is in a full mech suit that he’s never seen before. “What a coincidence.”

“You—“ Lio hisses and Galo barely reacts in time to catch him as he lunges forward. “You son-of-a-bitch!”

“Whoa, Fotia!” Vulcan laughs, hoisting his gun higher. “Gotta say, I’m surprised to see you looking so...healthy.”

Lio shouts wordlessly, struggling against Galo’s grip.

“Really never expected to see you again, actually.”

“Did you know?” Galo demands.

Vulcan rolls his eyes. “Look kid, I don’t know what lies this little mutant has been telling you, but—”

“Did you know!” Galo interrupts, fury scorching up his throat.

“Know what?” Vulcan asks derisively, taking a step forward. “If you’re asking whether or not I knew any of those maniacs were still alive down there, then _no_.” He shrugs, hitching his sneer back up. “Whoops.”

Rage licks low in Galo’s gut. “That’s all you have to say?”

“Come on, kid—” Vulcan steps forward again and Galo pulls Lio tighter against him, backing up. “You were okay with it when you thought they all _died_ , how is it any different now?”

“I was never _okay_ with it!” Galo yells, and he feels Lio go still. “We all thought the Burnish volunteered, that they _knew_ what was coming! That’s the story _you_ told us! You and Kray and Demeter and everyone else! But it was all a lie!”

“You’re gonna believe some jumped-up pyromaniac over us?” Vulcan shouts back. “Over the man who saved your life and raised you?”

Galo grits his teeth. “I—”

“Just drop it, Galo,” Vulcan continues, shaking his head. “Hand over the terrorist and we can all forget this ever happened.”

Lio digs his fingers into Galo’s arm where it’s still wrapped around him.

“What do you think you’re gonna get out of this, huh?” Vulcan chuckles. “You think you can take on all of Freeze Force? The whole city? You’re way out of your league, boy.” He pumps his weapon with an electronic whine. “So make it easy on yourself, and give him here.”

Galo stares at him. “You think I’m just going to walk away now that I know?”

“What good does knowing do you? Earth’s gone, Galo. It’s over. We’re all stuck here together now.”

“You’re wrong,” Lio bites out. “Earth’s still out there!”

Vulcan tuts. “Twenty years in obsidian must have fried your brain, Fotia. No one’s stupid enough to believe that.”

Galo can’t stifle the laugh that bursts out of him. “No one except me, apparently.”

“Galo—” Vulcan levels his weapon at them. “The Governor wants you unharmed, but I’ll shoot you if I have to, so just give up this little farce and hand the Burnish to me.”

Galo dares a glance down at Lio and is met with narrowed, determined eyes. A zing of understanding passes between them, and Galo looks back up at Vulcan with a crooked smile. “Get fucked.”

Vulcan scowls. “Suit yourself—” But before he can fire, Galo releases Lio and he lunges forward, sending up a violent spray of flames that illuminates the enclosed space like a flash bomb.

Galo blinks against the brightness but charges forward heedlessly, grabbing the barrel of Vulcan’s gun while he’s distracted and wrenching it to the side, leaving Vulcan open for Lio, who leaps and pushes off the support pillar, propelling a fierce left-hook right into Vulcan’s jaw.

Vulcan staggers, unbalanced, and Galo rips the gun away as Lio takes him all the way to his back with a thunderous, metallic thud. Another ruthless punch silences Vulcan’s furious shout and Galo finds himself almost captivated by Lio’s brutality, the savage gleam in his eyes, the vicious grit of his teeth as he slams Vulcan’s head into the pavement.

But they can’t stay much longer. Galo raises the gun and pumps it. “Lio, move!”

Lio scrambles back obediently and Galo fires, watching vindictively as a sheet of ice wraps itself around Vulcan’s body, pinning his arms and legs. Vulcan struggles uselessly, yelling for back-up, and Galo gestures to Lio.

“Come on, we’ve gotta go!”

“You’re making a mistake!” Vulcan shouts. “If you do this, there’s no way out! Galo!”

Galo ignores him.

Already, the sound of approaching boots is echoing around them, and Galo wastes no time swinging his leg over his bike. Lio slides in behind him and Galo passes him the gun. “Can you run interference?”

Lio takes it with a curt nod and Galo revs the engine just as a wave of armored dudes storms down the staircase. He whips the bike around and accelerates toward the exit, feeling Lio wrap one arm around his waist for security. The mechanical whine of the gun sounds, followed by loud cursing as they tear out of the garage and into the alley.

Galo can’t resist a wild laugh, banking sharply to send them cruising down the street.

“Is this fun for you?” Lio shouts over the rush.

“Kind of!” Galo yells, hair blasted back by the wind. “You gotta admit, that was pretty fucking cool!”

Lio responds by pinching Galo’s side, but that just makes Galo laugh harder.

* * *

The worksite is far enough from the city to avoid prying eyes, but close enough to benefit from the solar flare-cancelling shields around Parnassus. It’s still a little risky, since it’s a place Galo is connected to, but anything beats sneaking around the city until their luck runs out.

Lucia won’t be able to reach them here, too far out of the comlink’s range, and it’s best not to risk calling her normally. Even if their phones themselves are untrackable, any calls they make could potentially be caught and traced, so he’s most likely on his own for now.

Lio is looking pretty worse for wear when Galo brings the bike to a stop, but he dismounts on his own, and Galo figures he’s been yanking him around enough today so he keeps his hands off.

“Come on—“ Galo says, tucking his bike behind a docked mech and gesturing for Lio to follow him. “Let’s get up to the control tower. We’ll be able to see anyone coming from there.”

Lio nods, tight-lipped, and follows Galo through the rocky worksite. The stone around them is glowing red in the sunset and Galo wonders idly how long it’s been since he snuck into the Parnassus. It feels like it’s been days, but if the speeches started mid-morning, and the daylight lasts fourteen hours during this season...it’s been less than half a day. Regardless, Galo thinks as he starts up the ladder to the utilitarian control tower, he feels like he’s been awake for weeks.

“What is this place?” Lio asks, a little winded, pulling himself up beside Galo on the platform.

“It’s a terraforming site,” Galo responds, leading the way through the metal door into the control room. It’s dim inside, all the machinery turned off, long shadows cutting through the red sunset shining in through the windows lining every wall. “We’re leveling the ground to build a new school.”

Lio examines a huge wall-mounted monitor. “You work here?”

Flipping the lock on the door, Galo heads for the small fridge Lucia keeps under her station. “Yeah, I pilot a mech and take care of any rescue operations, like rockslides and stuff.”

Lio hums and, in his periphery, Galo sees him put a hand to his temple. Quickly, Galo snags a bottle of water from the fridge and roots around in Lucia’s snack drawer, grabbing some sort of protein bar and straightening up. “Here—” he directs Lio over to the couch sitting against one wall and pushes him onto the cushions. “Sit down, and—” he presses the water and bar into Lio’s hands. “You should eat something. It’s probably, uh—been a while, huh?”

Lio blinks up at him before the smallest sliver of a smile quirks his lips. “Twenty years, I’ve been told.”

“Right. Right—that’s...uh—” Galo sinks down beside Lio, staring blankly at the floor. “Fuck. I can’t even get my head around it.”

“It’s...a little hard to believe,” Lio agrees. “Though I have no choice. The reality is undeniable.”

“You don’t...you really don’t remember any of the time you were—” Galo gestures vaguely. “Stone?”

Lio shakes his head, setting the water aside to tear open the protein bar. “There’s...an impression of nothingness, but to say I _remember_ it is….” He trails off, a distant look creeping into his eyes. Before Galo can ask what’s wrong, Lio blinks hard and changes the subject: “It feels as though only a few hours ago I was being forced into that pod.” He leans his elbows on his knees, taking a bite and chewing thoughtfully. “I wish I knew what happened. How I got like that.”

“You’ve really got no idea? That’s not a Burnish power?”

“Not that I know of.”

“Maybe those alien things did it. What’d you call them? Promeers?”

“The Promare.” Lio cuts Galo a look. The sunset reflects in his light eyes, making them glow gold. “That might actually be possible.” He sounds surprised.

“Well, you know—” Galo taps his own head, smiling, “—thinking isn't really where I put my energy, but I pay attention sometimes. Can the Promare really do something like that?”

Lio sighs, looking back at the protein bar in his hand. “I’m not sure. Professor Prometh was still assessing their capabilities when he disappeared. He made a lot of break-throughs after I joined him as a test subject, but we just didn’t have enough _time_. The Promare are deeply connected to the Burnish, so if they were trying to protect us, maybe….” he trails off, brows furrowing. “But I don’t even know if the others….”

A few pieces click together in Galo’s brain and his eyes widen. He’d been too distracted to really parse everything earlier but— “All those triangular windows—were those—”

“Prometech pods,” Lio finishes grimly. “Designed to draw out a Burnish’s power by force, at the expense of our lives.”

“So—each one...had a person inside—”

Lio clenches his fists, the wrapper of the protein bar crinkling with the motion. “They were blacked out, so I couldn’t—there’s no way to know—”

“Wait!” Galo grabs Lio’s shoulder, mind racing as something Lucia mentioned jumps out at him. “When we got there, Lucia scanned the area—she said—I remember she said each compartment had some sort of inorganic mass inside, so—!”

Lio stares at him, eyes wide. “Really?”

“Yeah!” Galo nods emphatically. “She definitely said that, you can ask her later, but—that means the rest of the Burnish are probably still down there!”

The hope that illuminates Lio’s face makes Galo’s heart stutter. “I have to get to them—” he stresses. “Before Kray decides to do something.”

“Kray wouldn’t—” the defense rises to Galo’s lips instinctively, and he bites it back before it can completely escape. He swallows, releasing Lio’s shoulder as that pit in his stomach makes itself known again. “Well—” he chuckles awkwardly. “I guess I...don’t really know what Kray would or wouldn’t do, actually.”

Lio regards him, molten eyes pinning him like a butterfly to a board. “Earlier...what did Vulcan mean when he said the man who saved your life and raised you?”

The pit digs a little deeper and Galo shifts uncomfortably. “It’s—uh...that’s….” Shame rises in his throat. “It’s not important.”

Lio narrows his eyes, sitting up. “You know so much about me, but I know nothing about you. You were able to get into the engine room and you know Vulcan. What does that mean?”

“Look—” Galo scratches the back of his head. “This is gonna sound...pretty bad, given who you are, and everything that’s happening—” Galo jumps slightly at the sensation of Lio laying his hand on his arm.

“I trust you,” Lio says resolutely. “And I believe that you want to help me. So tell me—who are you, Galo Thymos?”

Last week, Galo was caught in a cave-in. It was partially his fault; he misjudged the amount of power he’d need to blast a larger opening in the crevice he was trying to get into, but the outcome was several tons of rock crashing down on his head. Fortunately, he was in his mech and activated his shields in time. He didn’t even need help digging himself out. Those kinds of accidents happen pretty frequently with manual terraforming, but it had been a while since he’d had such a close call, and the sensation of being instantly surrounded by hundreds of kilograms of unyielding stone, pressed into the ground by steadily mounting weight, admittedly left him a little shaken.

But that was nothing compared to the pressure of Lio’s direct gaze.

“I—” Galo takes a deep breath. “I’m sort of Kray’s adopted son.”

Lio is silent, holding Galo’s stare expectantly.

“When I was really young, uh—” Galo’s voice cracks and he clears his throat. Lio’s hand is still heavy on his arm. “My house caught fire. Back on Earth. Kray was walking by and he—he saved me. Lost his arm doing it. My family—well, I didn’t have anyone after that, so he sort of...took me in. I was too young to really understand what was going on, but he got me a spot on the Parnassus, so he basically—” Galo cuts off, huffing. “Well, I _thought_ he basically saved my life twice. Everyone always said he did. And, growing up here, he was almost...like a father.”

Honestly, it’s hard to look at Lio while he tells this story, but he can’t look away. Lio’s eyebrows pull together, but he doesn’t seem angry or disgusted, merely attentive, so Galo goes on:

“Vulcan too, kind of. He was always a blowhard, but he was around a lot, and he taught me martial arts and told me stories about Freeze Force. I lived with Kray until very recently, and he always wanted me to do what he does, you know? Join the city board or something. Maybe be Governor one day.” Galo rolls his eyes. “I’m not really cut out for it, but I wanted to make him proud….” Now Galo does look away, the shame in his throat burning hotter. “He’s always been my hero,” he rasps. “I admired him so much. I wanted to prove myself to him, more than anything, and this—” Galo slumps back against the cushions, staring up at the ceiling. “I can hardly comprehend this.”

The couch moves slightly as Lio shifts his weight beside him, but he still doesn’t say anything.

“I wish….” Galo starts, throat tight. “I almost wish I didn’t believe you. I guess I shouldn’t, really—I mean. We met _today_ , and, yeah all this weird stuff is happening, but if I really wanted to...I could just...close my eyes...and pretend to think you’re lying.” He blinks dully at the featureless metal ceiling. “Vulcan had a point—it would be easier for everyone—and I’ve known Kray my whole life, so why….”

“Why?” Lio echoes, voice soft.

Galo rolls his head to the side and finds Lio angled toward him, eyes shining with the last lingering rays of daylight. “There’s just something about you,” Galo says honestly. “When I look at you...I can’t not believe you.”

Lio inhales sharply, and Galo is struck by how the sunset plays off his pale skin, bleaches his hair with wildfire colors, falls into the dips and folds of his clothes. For the first time since they met in the engine room, Lio feels real next to him, and, for a second, Galo can hardly breathe.

“Galo—” in the stillness of the dim control room, Lio’s quiet voice is a thunderclap, and his hand gripping Galo’s arm is lightning. “I wish that things could be different. I wish that we had met under...other circumstances. And I wish that you didn’t have to forsake your...family.” His eyes flick down for a second. “I know how it feels when someone you care about...when you think you know someone, and you’re wrong.” He picks his gaze back up. “I am grateful to you.”

“Lio….” Galo blinks away the sudden wetness in his eyes and sits up. “I kinda thought you’d be angry or something,” he admits.

“Why? Because you’re close to Kray?”

“Well, yeah, but also—” Galo bites his lip. “How many times could I have gone down to the engine room? I grew up in the only building with access to the underground ship, but I never...never questioned the story.”

Lio frowns. “You couldn’t have known. You...were just a child.”

“No, no—I’m sorry, I—” Galo runs a hand through his hair. “I’m not trying to make this about me—I’m just….” Thoughtlessly, he reaches over and takes Lio’s hand, the one still on his arm. They’ve held hands several times today already, but only now does Galo realize how much smaller Lio’s hand truly is, how smooth the leather of his glove feels against Galo’s calloused palm. Absurdly, he’s struck by the sudden urge to peel Lio’s glove off, see if his skin is just as smooth, but he dismisses it, holding Lio’s gaze with as much sincerity as he can muster. “I’m sorry it took me so long to find you.”

Lio blinks, and his expression shifts into something open, raw, and it’s almost hard to look at. “Galo—” he whispers, fingers twitching in Galo’s grip, “—you...you _did_ find me. I don’t know how you freed me, but if you hadn’t come along, I’d still be down there. And eventually there’d be no one alive who even remembered me.”

Galo nearly shudders as the prospect hits home. The myth of the Burnish may be manufactured, but after a few decades, the ones who knew the truth would be gone, and the myth would be the only thing left. Far beneath the city, the engine room would remain sealed, a grotesque graveyard, erased and forgotten.

“So—” Lio continues, “—thank you. For finding me.”

The sun is almost completely down now, throwing only the goldest beams through the windows, gilding half of Lio’s face. His head is tilted back slightly to hold Galo’s gaze, the longest ends of his hair brushing his collar, and Galo finds himself swaying forward, caught in Lio’s inexplicable gravity. He raises his free hand, unable to resist the temptation to brush Lio’s hair behind his ear. It’s soft against his fingers. Lio tracks the motion intently with his eyes but doesn’t move to stop him. He doesn’t even seem to be breathing.

“No problem,” Galo smiles, daring to trail his knuckles along Lio’s sharp jaw. “We’re gonna fix this. And I’ll find you as many times as it takes.”

Galo swears the low-level heat radiating from Lio’s body ratchets up at least a dozen degrees and Lio’s eyes go wide. After a second of buffering, Galo’s brain catches up with the situation and he jerks back, cheeks warming, quickly releasing Lio and linking his fingers behind his head. “Or—uh—you know what I mean,” he laughs awkwardly.

Lio turns away stiffly, “Right.” He focuses on stuffing the rest of the protein bar in his mouth.

“Anyway—” Galo leans back again, fixing his eyes on the shadows stretching farther and farther across the floor, “—it’s pretty ironic that all of this happened on the anniversary.”

Lio pauses while uncapping the water bottle. “The anniversary?”

“Today’s the twentieth anniversary of the day the Parnassus landed here. Or the...fortieth?” Galo scrunches up his nose. “Omega Centauri takes half as long to orbit its sun, I guess. Compared to Earth. So we call one time around an orbit and two times around a year. Just to keep the older folks from getting confused.”

When he glances over, Lio is frowning down at the water bottle. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s just so strange,” Lio says. “Thinking that this is another planet. Everything seems so...normal. The air, the sky...the city still looks like Promepolis. But—” he twists around to look out the window behind him, and Galo can see the craggy red expanse of the terrain reflected in his eyes. “I can’t deny it. Professor Prometh always speculated that the Promare’s power could be harnessed for warp travel, so maybe if we’d had more time….” His expression dips into something almost wistful. “Someday, humanity could have traveled the stars for real, without sacrificing lives.”

“Maybe someday we still will,” Galo suggests, drawing Lio’s glittering gaze. “Your people are still down there, and they’re still on Earth too. This isn’t the end.”

Lio blinks and a smile softens his mouth. “Your infinite optimism is really something, Galo Thymos.”

Galo beams back. “Hell yeah! Aina always says it’s because I’m an idiot, but I’m just a glass half-full kind of guy!”

When Lio laughs, something sweet and fluttery eases the cold pit in Galo’s stomach slightly. “I think your friend might be right,” Lio says, and he almost sounds teasing.

“Well—” Galo shrugs, grinning. “I can be both.”

Lio opens his mouth like he’s going to say something else, but before he can, the distinct crunch of tires on dry, cracked ground jolts them both to attention.

Galo springs to his feet, panic washing away the warm fizz clouding his thoughts. He’d been so absorbed in Lio that he completely forgot to be on lookout, how _stupid_ can he get—

Through the window, he can make out the dark, boxy shapes of several large vehicles approaching from the main road leading to the city, coming to a stop in the shadow of the control tower.

“Shit,” Galo swears softly, ducking out of sight. Beside him, Lio also slides off the couch, kneeling at the ready. “It’s Freeze Force. Why are they here?” He doesn’t have Lucia at his disposal, and from the sound of stomping boots, the agents are already starting to unload from the cars.

“Did they see you?”

“I don’t think so.” He doesn’t hear anyone on the ladder, and there’s no shouting or firing of weapons, so they probably don’t know where exactly they are yet, or if they’re even there at all. “We should try to sneak around them.”

“How?” Lio whispers, the stormy set of his jaw indicating that he’d rather boil them all alive.

“Hang on—I’m thinking—” Galo rummages urgently through his utility belt for inspiration and his hand closes around his bike key. He pulls it out, eyeing the remote command buttons as sweat starts beading on his forehead. The bike is their only transportation right now, but they really can’t afford to be caught in the confined space of the control tower. They’d have nowhere to run.

“Come on,” he says tensely, gesturing to Lio. “Stay low.”

They crawl across the room, Galo’s ears pricking at the growing thunder of boots on stone below them and the rumble of voices calling back and forth, until they reach the door. Carefully, Galo reaches up and flips the lock. He inches the door open just enough to peer out. The raised platform surrounding the tower is clear, but the noise sounds like it’s starting to converge on the ladder.

Stomach flipping, Galo hits the remote start button on his fob and, instantly, the distant purr of his bike engine reaches his ears. For good measure, he presses the alert button, just once, and his bike chirps loudly.

The voices under the tower immediately go silent, then the boots start shuffling away from the tower, toward the docked mechs. Galo creeps, still on his hands and knees, through the door, as quietly as possible, and peers down into the gathering shadows as the squad of armored dudes passes underneath.

Once they're clear, Galo waves for Lio to follow him and crawls, using the stomping to cover any noise he makes on the metal floor, around the corner. Keeping tight to the wall, he rises to a crouch and leads Lio down the walkway to the opposite corner of the square tower.

“Come here—” he holds his arm out and Lio doesn’t hesitate this time, pressing against him and bracing his arms around Galo’s neck. Alert for any noises, Galo eases them under the walkway railing and drops.

The hoverboots activate, like before, sinking them down past the tower’s support lattice.

“What are we doing?” Lio whispers against Galo’s ear.

“We’re sneaking past those dudes,” Galo answers. “Just go with me on this.”

Lio doesn’t respond beyond a wary look.

As soon as his feet touch stone, Galo cuts the thrusters and lets Lio down, grabbing his hand right away and beelining for the long ravine that runs alongside the worksite. The mostly flat area they set up as their base of operations is bracketed by deep, thin canyons, and the longest one snakes behind the mech docks, where Galo’s bike is. They need to get back to the bike without being seen. What they do after that—well, Galo will cross that bridge when he gets to it.

When they reach the edge of the ravine, Galo pulls Lio in again. “Down we go,” he mutters, kneeling down and swinging off the stone shelf. The boots catch them quickly, and Galo adjusts the input to keep them hovering at the same level, just below the lip of the hard, reddish earth.

“Can I get a plan?” Lio asks heatedly.

“We need to get back to my bike.”

“The bike you lured all those guys to on purpose?”

Galo shrugs as best he can with Lio in one arm. “I’m just making this up as I go. Can you shift around a bit?”

“Uh—”

“Like—here, hang on—”

With some awkward maneuvering, Galo guides Lio onto his back and Lio locks his legs around Galo’s waist, leaving Galo with both hands free to pull them along the rock wall.

“You’re like a koala!” Galo can’t help giggling quietly.

“How do you know about koalas?” Lio asks, sounding significantly less amused.

“We do learn about Earth in school, you know.” Galo hovers around an outcropping. “And I was already four when we left. I don’t really remember much, but the older folks tell stories. The thing about the oceans seems crazy, though.”

“The oceans?”

“Is the whole planet really covered in standing water?”

“Not the _whole_ planet, but most of it, yes.”

“That’s crazy. All of our water is underground.” Galo flashes a smile back at Lio over his shoulder. “If I ever get back, I’m heading to the ocean first thing.”

He can’t quite make out Lio’s expression in the dim light, but he feels Lio’s arms tighten around his neck.

Galo fits his fingers into a small crevice and lifts up enough to peer over the edge of the ravine. From this angle, he can make out the bulky structures of the docked mechs and a handful of large figures milling around. The darkness makes it difficult to pick out details, but he’s pretty sure they’re still checking out his bike.

“Damn it,” he hisses, ducking back down. “They’re still there.”

“What were you expecting?” Lio pokes his head up, taking in the scene. “I just need to distract them, right?”

“Yeah, but, what are you—”

Lio shifts forward, even tighter against Galo’s back, and reaches out, pressing his hand to the cracked stone wall in front of them. The outline of his hand glows a deep magenta, and before Galo can ask what he’s doing, the sound of an explosion rips through the worksite.

Startled, Galo peers over the edge again, and his eyes widen at the dazzling inferno currently consuming one of the vehicles at the other end of the worksite.

The Freeze Force agents erupt into shouting, storming back across the site, guns at the ready, and Galo doesn’t waste a second, hauling them up onto level ground and flicking the boots off. Lio unravels from around him and, together, they slink behind the docked mechs.

His bike is where he left it, and the pilfered ice gun is still sitting on the seat. Galo hands it to Lio and mounts the bike. “Hell yeah,” he cheers quietly, giving the bike a quick look-over. “We make a good team.”

“Your standards are pretty low.” Lio settles behind him, gun at the ready. “Wait until we’ve actually gotten away to celebrate.”

“I thought you liked my optimism.”

“When did I say that?”

Galo revs the engine and the bike lights up underneath him, shooting them forward. There’s no way to keep the motor quiet so now they can only rely on speed. The Freeze Force cars arrived on the main road, leaving the smaller back road that connects to some of the actual construction sites free, and Galo quickly weaves around the docked mechs to reach it.

Behind them, he hears the unmistakable sounds of armored dudes yelling and piling into their cumbersome transport vehicles.

“Keep an eye behind us,” he calls to Lio and Lio loops his arm around Galo’s waist in response.

Galo guides the bike onto the road and peels away from the worksite. The area they’re headed for is more jagged, rock formations sticking out of the ground, which drops off sharply in cliffs and ravines, but Galo knows his way around, even with the sun below the horizon and shadows obscuring the terrain, and he’s confident he can shake the vehicles now rumbling after them.

He banks around a corner and flicks his headlight on, throwing a bright beam across the rough red stone in front of them. After clearing a gap between two boulders, he gives the engine more power, leaning into the bike’s top speed, wind whipping through his hair and roaring in his ears.

“Galo—!”

Lio’s shout is all the warning he gets before something cold and stabbing slams into him, instantly encasing his arm, and the bike swerves, wobbling dangerously.

“ _Shit—_ ” Galo wrenches the handlebars back to center, looking around wildly in time to see a dark vehicle emerging from behind an outcropping. It’s behind them now, but it must have been lying in wait. “Goddammit!” His arm is frozen, ice wrapped completely from his shoulder to his wrist, and, now that the initial shock is gone, he can feel the piercing cold bleeding into him, through his sleeve, but the car is on their heels and Galo can’t afford to slow down to deal with it.

Clenching his jaw against the instinctive shivers wracking through him, Galo yanks the bike sharply to the left, down an incline, and darts around a craggy stone column. From what he saw, the car tailing them was smaller than the others, and open-topped, with several agents inside. It can probably follow them through the narrower areas, but the uneven landscape will keep them from getting off another clear shot.

“Hold on tight,” he grits out. His frozen arm is useless for steering so he pries it off the handle and slides them around another hard corner, just ahead of an ice blast that slams into the rock wall, jagged crystals bursting outward. He feels Lio twist around and hears the distinctive sound of the gun discharging.

His arm throbs, pain edging past his shoulder, and he winces, the bike tilting dangerously for a split second. “ _Fuck—_ ” Controlling the balance at such a high speed with one hand is nearly impossible, but he doesn’t have a choice. He threads around a collection of rocky pillars, cold sweat instantly drying on his forehead from the wind.

Then Lio is pressed against him again, one arm snaking under Galo’s frozen shoulder. “What are you—”

“Keep driving,” Lio commands, laying his gloved hand on the ice around Galo’s elbow.

Galo complies, knuckles white on the throttle, and in his periphery he sees Lio’s hand glow, heat rising off of it in visible ripples. With a slick _crack_ , the ice splits at the joint, and a glimmer of dazzling fire rises from the break. Lio curls his hand, fingers clawing little divots into the faceted surface, and the whole thing shatters, falling away with a rush of heat.

A relieved laugh bubbles out of Galo’s chest and he flexes his freed arm. “Thanks!”

But before he can revel in having his arm back, something in the engine lets out a sickening _clunk_ and the bike jolts. Panic rushing back, Galo glances behind him to see fire glowing under the thrusters. “Did you do that?” he asks hysterically.

“No!” Lio leans back, hair blowing in the wind, peering at the growing fire. “Your engine is melting down!”

“Shit! Those bastards must have done something to it!” Galo mentally slaps himself for not considering the possibility. Already, he can feel them losing speed, and the sound of a huge, revving engine echoes on the stone around them. “They’re gonna catch up to us at this rate!”

“That way!” Lio points over Galo’s shoulder, indicating a natural stone archway coming up on their right. “Lead them through there!”

“You got it!” Obediently, Galo steers the rapidly decelerating bike toward the archway, pumping the throttle, heedless of the way it shudders between his legs.

As they pass under the stone, Lio reaches up and sends out two concentrated blasts of fire. They strike the arch right at the curve points and, with a deafening crack, the rock bursts apart, collapsing to the ground, narrowly missing their back tire and sending up a cloud of thick dust.

Shouting and squealing tires reach Galo through the wreckage right before he crests another corner, and he wants to be excited that they managed to shake them, but the bike is losing speed, jerking under them and only sluggishly responding to Galo’s commands.

He curses vehemently, dragging the sputtering machine into an alcove just as it flickers and dies. “Come on—” he jumps off and grabs Lio’s hand. “We’re gonna have to run—”

The rumble of an engine cuts him off and Galo yanks Lio behind him, snagging the ice gun and aiming it into the darkness.

From a narrow channel to their right, a red truck speeds into view and grinds to a crunching halt on the stone. Galo’s eyes widen as a familiar figure leans out the driver’s side window.

“Get in!” Ignis calls gruffly.

“Captain?” Galo asks in disbelief. “What are you doing here?”

“Looking for you!” Ignis gestures sharply. “Hurry before they see us!”

Lio steps forward, hand raised. “Who—”

But Galo is already pulling him along. He rips the back door open and basically throws Lio inside before climbing in himself. The door is barely closed before Ignis is reversing through the gap he came from and maneuvering deftly onto a snaking path.

“When I saw the emergency bulletin,” Ignis starts, glancing at them in his rearview mirror, “I couldn’t believe it. But it’s really you, Fotia.”

Lio tenses. “You know me?”

“I was with Burning Rescue back on Earth.” Ignis banks rapidly and shoots into a narrow canyon barely wide enough for the truck. “We all knew you. Care to explain why you look the same as you did twenty years ago?

“Would you believe he just has killer genes?” Galo asks, twisting in his seat to keep an eye out the rear window.

“I have apparently been petrified under the city for twenty years,” Lio states plainly. “Along with the rest of the Burnish.”

Ignis’s sunglasses glint. “All of you—” he mutters, “—for twenty years?” At their silence, he huffs out a sharp breath. “When the Governor said you turned yourselves in—offered to power the engine...I couldn’t believe it.”

“You have good instincts,” Lio says coldly.

“So it was all a lie?”

“Yeah,” Galo forces out. “And now they’re after us—they want to keep it all covered up, but—Ignis—” his voice edges into desperation, “—it’s all wrong. We can’t just let this continue. People deserve to know the truth.”

“You don't need to convince me, Galo. I’m not going to fight the Burnish.” Ignis clenches his hands on the wheel. “I made that mistake twenty years ago and regretted it ever since. I’m just trying to figure out what we’re going to do next.”

“We?” Galo repeats, stomach leaping hopefully.

“You think I risked my ass to come looking for you just to turn you in?” The truck jolts as the front tires hit an incline and Ignis guns the engine, pushing them up and onto flatter ground. “The whole city is after you two—I ain’t just gonna leave you.”

Galo’s heart twangs gratefully. “Captain—!”

“Are you sure?” Lio interrupts. “You said it yourself—the whole city is after us. There will be no going back if you side with me.”

“Well, maybe if I’d sided with you sooner, none of this would have happened,” Ignis says, barely audible over the hum of the motor.

For the millionth time, Galo wonders what he saw back on Earth. He glances over at Lio, and even through the gloom, Lio’s hesitance is obvious in the furrow of his brows. “It’s alright,” Galo insists softly. “Ignis is the most honest guy I know. And he’s not scared of Kray. We can trust him.”

After a beat, Lio looks up at him, and the gleam in his eyes looks terrifyingly like faith. “Okay.”

Galo swallows around the lump rising in his throat. “Did you really come out here looking for us?” he asks Ignis to distract himself.

Ignis nods curtly, guiding them around a corner. “When I saw the emergency alert and heard you were missing, I had a really funny feeling. The news is trying to make it sound like Fotia kidnapped you, but—” he shakes his head, “—he’s not the type.”

“You sound pretty confident,” Lio says, watching Ignis in the rearview mirror curiously. “Have we met?”

“In a manner of speaking. I helped arrest you once.”

“That’s a pretty exclusive club. I only got caught twice.” Narrowing his eyes, Lio sits forward. “Wait. The attack on the pharmaceutical company. You were there.”

Ignis’s mustache quirks up wryly. “I was.”

“You’ve aged.”

“You haven’t.” Ignis shifts gears and skirts past a steep dropoff. “You still look fifteen.”

A shock zips up Galo’s spine. “You’re not, are you?” he asks, a little frantic.

Lio frowns. “No. Are you?”

“No!”

“We’re all adults here,” Ignis says. “And I still have a lot of questions, but they can wait until we get to my place.”

Darting his gaze away from Lio, Galo ignores the warmth in his cheeks and taps his earpiece. “I lost contact with Lucia a while ago, she’s probably—”

“Galo!” Lucia’s screech rattles his brain almost instantly. It’s still a little tinny and distorted from the distance, but they’ve clearly passed back into the comlink’s range, Ignis’s winding path taking them vaguely in the direction of the city. “Thank fuck! Way to warn me, asshole!”

“Sorry,” Galo winces. “I told you I was going outside the city.”

“Be more specific next time! You’re still outside of my tracker’s radius—where are you?”

“We were hiding out at the worksite, but now we’re with Ignis.”

“Captain? What’s he doing there?”

“Came looking for us—anyway we’re heading to his place.”

“Got it. Aina and I will meet you there.”

“Aina’s with you?” Galo would have bet Heris wouldn’t let her sister out of her sight.

“Yeah—we had to sneak around the debacle at Aina’s apartment, but we’re on the lam and I’ve got some info to share.”

“Info?” Galo cuts his eyes to Lio and finds him looking back curiously, one eyebrow raised.

“I’ll fill you in when I see you.” There’s some rustling on the other side of the line. “Be careful coming back into Parnassus—Freeze Force is _everywhere_. Kray gave one address on the Sight System and has been completely MIA since.”

Galo grimaces. “See you in a bit, Lucia.”

“What is it?” Lio asks.

“Lucia’s got some new info for us. We’ll meet her and Aina at the captain’s place.”

“Sit tight, boys,” Ignis says, gunning the engine. “I’m gonna take the long way back.”

* * *

Most people in Parnassus live in apartments, but Ignis opted for a small house in a neighborhood on the outskirts of the city that was built a few years after the ship landed. Galo’s been over a few times already, for drinks after work. It’s convenient because it’s closer to the worksite than anywhere else in the city. He never thought he’d be visiting under these circumstances, though.

When they get inside, Ignis heads for the kitchen. “When was the last time you kids had a proper meal?”

“Twenty years ago,” Lio responds blandly.

Ignis nods, opening a cabinet. “That’ll do it. Take a seat anywhere.”

Galo leads Lio into the living room and flops down on the couch with a sigh. His arm feels tender, the muscles still stiff with the memory of ice enclosing them, even through his jacket, but everything seems to be in working order.

Lio is peering curiously at the photos on the wall, which show Ignis back on Earth, posing with his BR team as a younger man. Ignis once told Galo he was on track to be captain of his station when he was drafted to join the migration. He never specified why he was chosen to board the Parnassus, and Galo had always assumed it had something to do with his mech prowess, but now he wonders if Kray wanted folks with experience dealing with the Burnish. As insurance.

“Recognize anyone?” Galo asks.

Lio glances over at him, then back at the pictures. “Maybe. I didn’t really have a chance to ask names while I was being arrested, but a few of them look familiar.” He frowns. “It feels like only a few weeks ago, but my head is still a little hazy.”

“Well, yeah. I can’t imagine that spending twenty years in stone is good for your memory.”

Lio tugs at the sleeve of his hoodie. “I remember enough.”

He sounds odd and Galo furrows his brows, sitting forward to ask what’s up, but the movement irritates his arm and he winces, pulling it close.

Instantly alert, Lio joins him on the sofa. “Are you okay? The ice—”

“I’m fine,” Galo assures him, skating his zipper down. “It’s just a bit sensitive—” he shrugs the jacket off, baring his arm to Lio’s skeptical gaze. The skin from his bicep to his wrist is turning a light, mottled red, but touching it elicits nothing more than a slight sting.

Lio purses his lips and slides one of his gloves off. Galo stares dumbly as slim, pale fingers trail up his arm, prodding carefully at the reddest skin. Any lingering chill is banished under the lines of fire now scorching in the wake of Lio’s touch.

“Regular human skin isn’t really supposed to be flash-frozen,” Lio says, still eyeing his arm critically. “You’ve got some burst capillaries, but it looks like you escaped any serious damage.”

“Those ice guns mean business, huh,” Galo manages. His heart is throbbing distractingly and he’s half-afraid Lio will be able to hear it.

“They’re specifically designed to interrupt the flow of Promare energy that gives us our powers.”

“You don’t seem to have any trouble with them,” Galo observes, remembering how easily Lio shattered the ice encasing his arm.

Lio draws back and Galo instantly misses his radiant warmth. “I’ve always been a bit different,” he says vaguely, replacing his glove with a sharp tug.

“No kidding.” Unthinkingly, Galo rubs a hand up his arm, chasing the sensation of Lio’s touch. “You’re a major badass, Lio.”

Under the normal lighting in Ignis’s living room, the violet of Lio’s eyes is obvious and striking, and so is his crooked smile. “You’re not too bad yourself, Galo.”

Galo’s thoughts turn to static. Fortunately, a series of sharp raps on the front door shakes the fuzz away before he can do something stupid and he stands quickly, clearing his throat. “That’s probably Lucia and Aina.”

He’s right, and Lucia skitters into the house like a cat on roller skates. Aina follows at a more sedate pace, pausing to look Galo up and down as he closes and locks the door.

“Still in one piece, I see,” she points out.

Galo flashes her a thumbs-up. “Takes more than a few high-speed chases and close calls to take me down!”

She doesn’t seem impressed.

“Food’s done,” Ignis calls from the kitchen. “Come eat and then we’ll sort this all out.”

Aina sighs and heads out of the foyer. Galo moves to follow her, shoving his hands in his back pockets, but he pauses as his fingers hit the unyielding rectangle of his phone. Oh yeah, he almost forgot he even had that. Since it couldn’t be traced, and Lucia only spoke to him through the com, he’d just stuck it in his pocket and left it there.

Now, he pulls it out and thumbs it on. A notification greets him, telling him he’s low on battery, and he dismisses it, stomach churning at the prospect of whatever messages Kray might have sent him in the wake of his disappearance.

But nothing else pops up.

Frowning, Galo checks his call history. The last call his phone performed was last night, when he called Kray. No missed incoming calls. No voicemails. A look at his messages shows Kray’s text from last night, but nothing since.

For a second, Galo just stares down at his screen as the pit in his gut cracks wider.

“Galo, come on!” Lucia yells. “You get lost or something?”

Snapping himself out of his thoughts, Galo tucks the phone resolutely back in his pocket and inhales sharply through his nose. Then he joins the others in the kitchen.

The irony of sitting down to a meal with his team, his boss, and the terrorist he’s helping evade the government doesn’t escape him, but Galo is too famished and Ignis’s cooking smells too good to dwell on any strangeness. Lio seems hesitant at first, cautious around so many people, but after a few nudges from Galo, he elbows Galo back and starts eating with an exasperated sideways glance. Galo grins around his forkful of pasta, shoving his uneasiness from a minute ago aside.

Lucia wolfs down her food like a vacuum cleaner and then pulls out her tablet and starts typing furiously. “So I’ve been doing some scans and stuff on the energy I picked up during Lio’s holo-call with Thyma—“

“In between sneaking away from Heris,” Aina adds, gesturing with her fork. “And avoiding Freeze Force. Our faces aren’t on TV yet, but they’re definitely on alert for me, at least.”

“Why was Freeze Force following Heris anyway?” Galo asks.

Aina shrugs. “They probably suspected you’d head to my place.” She frowns down at her plate. “I don’t know if Heris knew they were there. I hope she didn’t.”

“I’m sure she’d never put you at risk, Aina,” Galo says confidently. Whether Heris is in on everything or not, Galo knows she loves Aina before anything else.

Aina offers him a tired smile across the table.

“Anyway,” Lucia continues pointedly. “I think I’ve got some stuff figured out, so prepare to lose your minds because it’s _crazy_.”

“What do you mean?” Lio asks.

“According to my readings, you—” she points her fork at Lio, “—and Thyma were connected through some sort of limited spacetime portal.” She raises her eyebrows, glancing expectantly around the table. “Get it?”

“Yeah, it was like—a hole, right?” Galo responds. “Didn’t we know that?”

“Galo—” Lucia sighs. “It’s way more complicated than that.”

“Not sure what you kids are talking about,” Ignis remarks, starting to gather the empty plates. “But that sounds like a warp gate.”

“Exactly!” Lucia exclaims. “But also not!”

Aina rubs her temple. “The point, please?”

“The _point_ —” Lucia bounces excitedly in her seat, grinning, “—is that it was a _portal_ not a _warp gate_.”

“What’s the difference?” Galo questions.

“Warp gates, as far as I can tell with the paltry information I’ve got access to, are basically tunnels through spacetime. They fold spacetime to reduce distance but you’re still traveling through _something_. Plus they’re more-or-less one way. You dig the tunnel in the direction you’re going, right? But portals—” Lucia leans forward, eyes shining. “They’re more like doors. Instant connection! You step through and bam! You’re somewhere else! But they take way more power to generate and you need to establish it from both sides. Make sense?”

Galo scratches his head. “I...think so?”

“So when we saw Thyma—” Lio starts earnestly, “—she and I were both generating the link?”

“That’s my theory,” Lucia agrees. “The energy readings I was getting from you were only about half of what it would take to make a portal that size.”

“But you couldn’t go through it, could you?” Aina wonders.

Lio shakes his head. “My hand wouldn’t pass through.”

“Right, right,” Lucia goes on. “That little window wasn’t _nearly_ stable enough for a physical connection. But with more power, we’re talking instantaneous connection to Earth.”

“More power….” Galo lights up. “The other Burnish! If we get them—!”

“Yeah, maybe! But Thyma would have to do the same thing on her side.”

“How would we tell her that?”

“I mean, if Lio could open another portal—”

“I don’t control it—” Lio mumbles. He’s staring down at the table, eyebrows knit. “The Promare...they’re the ones making the connection.”

“Well, they clearly want you to talk to Thyma,” Aina says. “Since they’ve been doing it so far.”

“Hold on.” Ignis has returned to the table, arms braced on the back of his chair, and is leveling them all with an intense look. “Let me get this straight. You kids want to free the rest of the Burnish to open a portal to Earth? Why?”

Galo glances around the table. “Uh—”

“I’m not saying we don’t need to get those people to safety,” Ignis continues. “But is there a reason to open this portal?”

Lio’s chair legs scrape against the tile as he stands up and Galo turns to him, ready to placate any disagreement, only to find Lio wringing his hands anxiously, lips pressed together. “The Burnish have to return to Earth sooner or later,” he says, voice strained. “We are connected to the Promare in the core.”

Ignis quirks a brow. “Promare?”

“Interdimensional fire aliens that resonate with certain humans, giving them fire powers,” Lucia whispers rapidly.

“I see.”

Lio clenches his fists forcefully at his sides and Galo is alarmed to notice the fine tremors running through him. “Our lives are tied to them. When a human synchronizes with the Promare, they gain the ability to heal themselves, but in exchange, once the connection is cut, they die.”

Ice spears through Galo’s chest. “Wait a minute—”

“Once we free the Burnish, we’ll be on a time limit. We will have to return to Earth to reconnect with the Promare in the core before the fire inside us runs out.”

“Wait, Lio, doesn’t that mean—”

“So we shouldn’t attempt to rescue them until we’re certain we can open this portal.” Lio bites his bottom lip. “But—but I can’t just leave them down there—”

“Lio—” Galo shoves himself to his feet, his chest in knots, and reaches for Lio, stopping himself just before his hand touches Lio’s shoulder. “You—this time limit—”

Lio doesn’t meet his gaze, eyes fixed resolutely to the side.

“That includes you, right?” Galo asks, barely able to speak past the lump in his throat.

A tense beat stretches silently between them, before Lio flicks his eyes to Galo, jaw tight. “Yes.”

Galo’s heart sinks. “What...what does that mean?”

“It means—” Lio wraps his arms around himself, “—that once my fire is depleted, I’ll turn to ash. Unless I get back to Earth.”

Images of colorful, prismatic flames flash through Galo’s head, memories of Lio, barely an hour ago, alight with crystalline fire as they evaded Freeze Force. How much has he used already? How much does he have left? How long until—

Lucia and Aina, clearly following Galo’s panicked logic, shoot to their feet, and Lio holds up his hands, eyes wide. “I’m not going to drop dead in the next ten minutes.”

“Lio, why didn’t you—”

“How can you tell?” Lucia runs over Galo’s words, nearly climbing across the table. “Do you know how much longer?”

“I can’t tell exactly.” Lio shakes his head. “It’s just an awareness. I can feel the Promare, but I’m not drawing any energy from them. I must be too far away.”

“So every time you use your powers, you deplete your fire?”

Lio glances around soberly. “Yes.”

“Okay, so no more fire powers,” Aina pipes up, a little pitchy.

Galo stares hard at Lio, taking in the way his arms tighten, lips pressing into a thin line. “Would that help?” he asks, voice low.

It takes a second for Lio to meet his gaze again. “It might slow the process. But even just living consumes energy. If I don’t reconnect with the Promare, I will die.”

“Then we need to free the rest of the Burnish now!”

“No!” Lio protests. “Not until we know for sure we can send them back. We can’t afford to make a mistake and run out the clock!”

“But if we wait too long, you’ll die!”

“I’ll be fine,” Lio insists, all steel. “I’ve always been more powerful than the average Burnish, and even now that hasn’t changed. I have time.”

“How _much_?” Galo presses.

“I told you, I can’t _tell_.”

“Ballpark it for me.”

Lio narrows his eyes. “If I don’t use my powers, maybe...two weeks. _Maybe_.”

A jolt of panic coils around Galo’s chest. “Lio, that’s nothing! And you’ve been shooting flames like crazy!”

“Would you rather I _didn’t_ save you from Freeze Force?” Lio snaps, squaring up to Galo directly.

Galo scowls. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“How could I explain something like this?”

“I don’t know! Maybe—hey, if I use my fire magic too much, I’ll die? How hard is that?”

“We would have been captured and you know it!”

“I’m not as helpless as you think I am,” Galo asserts heatedly. “I never _asked_ for you to risk your life like that, I—”

“You never _asked_ for any of this!” Lio interrupts furiously, glaring up at Galo as though he’s not a full head shorter than him. “You just _decided_ you were involved, even when I wanted to leave! You have no right to lecture me, Galo Thymos!”

Galo gapes incredulously. “ _Lecture_ you—!”

“I said I’m fine—why won’t you believe me?”

“It’s not about believing you!”

“Then what is it?” Lio demands.

Galo resists the urge to tear at his own hair in frustration. “Is it so crazy that I’m worried about you?” he shouts.

“There’s nothing to worry about!”

“You could die! How is that nothing to worry about?”

“I don’t need you to feel responsible for me—”

“But I am!” Galo bursts out, so vehemently that Lio blinks, words fizzling. “I am! I promised to help you and I’m responsible for that promise! I’m not just gonna ignore that you’re dying, Lio! If we have to get you back to Earth, we need to focus on that!”

Lio furrows his eyebrows. “If we rush into things, we’ll be killed, or the Burnish will—”

“But if we don’t do _something_ , you’ll run out of time!”

“Okay, that’s enough!” Aina’s voice cuts through Galo like a knife and he jumps back, realizing how much he’d crowded into Lio’s space without meaning to.

Lio stares up at him, breathing a little harder than usual, lips parted, eyes wide. With effort, Galo manages to turn his attention from Lio’s oddly flushed face to Aina, who’s got both hands on the table, leveling them both with a stern look.

“You’re going in circles,” she continues sharply. “You’re not thinking straight. The fact of the matter is that we _don’t_ have unlimited time, but we already knew that. Short of leaving the colony altogether, there’s nothing we can do to keep Freeze Force from finding us eventually.” She straightens up to her full height and gestures at Lucia. “If what Lucia found out is true, that gives us a way forward. Instead of dodging Freeze Force for however long, we can help Lio and the others escape through this portal thing. Regardless of Lio’s situation, our best course of action is freeing the Burnish to open the portal.”

In the silence that follows her words, Galo can feel his heart throbbing rapidly behind his ribs and he swallows. “Right, yeah—” he manages, glancing at Lio, who’s gone back to staring blankly at the table. “That’s what I...meant.”

Chair legs skid against the tile as Ignis sits down heavily. “Alright, kids,” he sighs. “You’ve all been saying a lot of things, and I’ve picked up about half of it. If we’re going to be overthrowing the government, I’d like a few more details.”

Stiffly, Galo sits back down, and the others follow suit. Beside him, Lio radiates tension thick enough to raise the hairs on Galo’s neck, but he doesn’t say anything, sitting silent and taught as Lucia babbles through a recap of the day.

Galo barely hears her, or Ignis’s gruff questions, all of his attention trained on Lio but not daring to look over at him. From this distance, he can still feel Lio’s unnatural body heat, and it’s making him nauseous, a reminder of the timebomb ticking away in Lio’s core, draining his life with every passing second.

He’s so caught up in mentally replaying Lio’s words from earlier that he almost misses when Lio hunches slightly in his chair, but he catches the movement in his periphery and grabs Lio by the arm, panic instantly consuming him. “Lio!”

Lio grits his teeth, pressing a hand to his head. “It’s okay—it’s just—”

“The portal?” Lucia demands, clambering onto the table to reach them. “Is it the portal? That would be _amazing_ —”

“I think so—” Lio breaks off on a groan and Galo slides out of his chair, kneeling on the floor beside him and guiding Lio’s arm to brace around his shoulders.

“This is what we were talking about,” Aina is explaining quickly to Ignis, but before anyone can do anything else, the air in the room starts humming.

It’s almost familiar now, how Galo’s whole body sings in time with the vibration and the portal rips itself open beside the fridge in a spray of gleaming light.

“Lio!” Thyma is instantly visible in the opening, pressed against it like it’s a window. “Lio—oh, you’re all there!”

Lio hisses in a breath and reaches for the portal, but he falters and sags against Galo, trembling so violently Galo can feel it in his teeth. Fear spikes through him. Does this drain Lio’s fire too?

Lucia is giving Thyma a rapid-fire version of the portal explanation from earlier, and as Galo watches, Thyma leans back, looking bewildered, and a lanky man with blunt teal hair pushes into frame. Lucia breaks off. “Uh—hi?”

Thyma jumps. “Oh—this is Remi—he’s not Burnish, but he’s my friend, and—”

“This is incredible,” Remi marvels, adjusting his glasses as he inspects the edges of the portal. “I can’t believe what I’m seeing!”

“You didn’t believe me?” Thyma asks shrilly.

“No,” Remi says simply. “I thought you were hallucinating.”

“You—”

“Guys,” Galo cuts in, tightening his grip on Lio. “I don’t know how long Lio can keep the connection open. He’s really worn out.”

“Oh god!” Thyma surges forward again. “Is he okay? I was worried about this—I’ve been thinking about how the Burnish would survive that far from the Promare. You—you have to get back here!”

“We know!” Lucia agrees. “But for the portal to be strong enough to send people through, we’ll need a lot of power generating it from both sides.”

“Can’t you fly back in a spaceship?” Remi suggests.

“Our only method of faster-than-light travel right now is Burnish energy and, well—” Lucia grimaces. “That didn’t go so great last time.”

“So this portal—” Thyma looks around at all of them, “—what do we have to do?”

“You need to get as many Burnish as possible in the same place and channel your interdimensional fire powers to establish a connection on your end,” Lucia says matter-of-factly.

Thyma exchanges stricken glances with Remi. “How—how are we supposed to do that?”

“The Promare,” Lio rasps, picking up his head. “They’re making this all happen. They...they want the Burnish to return to Earth. The others will feel it too. They’ll trust you.”

Remi shakes his head in disbelief. “Just like that? It’s insane!”

“You have to try!” Aina insists. “All of the Burnish here are still trapped, so we have to free them, but once we do, we’ll need to open the portal as quickly as possible.”

Thyma’s eyes go wide. “Why? What’s wrong?”

“We don’t have time to explain why exactly,” Galo says. “Just trust us—a lot of lives depend on you opening the portal.”

“At the right time!” Lucia points out. “It won’t work unless both groups are doing it simultaneously.”

“Oh my god.” Thyma cradles her face in both hands. “This is—this is crazy! This is _impossible_!”

Lio’s hand curls into Galo’s shirt and he screws his eyes shut, breathing hard.

“Come on, Thyma,” Galo begs. “Lio is counting on you—all the Burnish here are counting on you. The fire aliens must have connected to you for a reason, right?”

Thyma looks up, blinking rapidly. “I—I don’t know! I don’t know why they would choose me!”

“Thyma—” Lio gasps, forcing himself upright by leaning heavily against Galo. “The Promare have known you your entire life. They did choose you for a reason. They trust you. And I trust you.” As unsteady as he is, he still manages to meet Thyma’s tearful expression with a confident gleam in his eyes. “The Promare will guide you. You can do this.”

She takes a shuddering breath before quickly wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket. “I—I’ll do my best!” She leans forward, pressing against the window again. “I’m gonna get all of you home, okay, Lio?”

Lio offers her a somber nod before wincing, face twisting in pain, and the rift flickers, spitting little sparks into the air.

“What’s happening?” Remi asks, alarmed.

“I’ll talk to you again!” Thyma shouts over the humming crescendo filling their ears. “I promise!”

Then the rift blinks out with the familiar pressurized _pop_ , leaving a ringing silence in Galo’s head as he squeezes his eyes shut to clear the flash of light from his retinas.

After a beat, Ignis hums. “Well. That sure was something.”

Lio crumples against Galo like someone just cut the strings holding him up and Galo steadies him swiftly, pressing a hand to his neck, just to make sure he can still feel the thrum of heat under Lio’s skin—

“Come on, son,” Ignis instructs, rising and gesturing to the doorway. “Let’s go put him somewhere he can rest.”

Galo elects to lay Lio on the couch instead of one of the beds. They have to keep an eye on the television for updates and Galo doesn’t want to be separated from Lio right now. He’s out cold this time, not stirring at all as Galo tucks a pillow under his head, and Galo hopes his exhaustion is just a byproduct of the busy day and not a symptom of something worse.

Lucia and Aina file into the living room as Galo flops down on the floor in front of the couch, sighing and scrubbing a hand through his hair.

“So that’s pretty much it,” Lucia tells Ignis, settling into an armchair. “Statues, portals, and the Governor’s been lying for twenty years.” She casts a glance around the room. “Anything I’m missing?”

Aina perches against the arm of Lucia’s chair, crossing her arms. “I can’t believe that just this morning, I was worried about how late Heris was going to be working tonight, and now—” she side-eyes the TV mounted on the wall and Galo follows her gaze.

It’s playing a variation of the notice that came on back in Aina’s apartment, but Ignis has the sound off and the words scrolling across the screen under Lio’s picture are more urgent, demanding immediate action upon sighting the terrorist.

“The end of the world doesn’t always give you a warning,” Ignis says, staring steadily at the TV as well.

Galo can’t contain a humorless chuckle. It certainly feels like the end of the world.

“So this is it, right?” Lucia asks, drawing Galo’s attention back to her. “We’re bringing them down?”

Part of Galo still wants to confront Kray, explain everything to him, demand an explanation, something that will ease the horrible gaping hole in his stomach. Maybe, _maybe_ Kray will let the Burnish go and they can return to Earth. No one has to fight. No one has to get hurt. But Kray would surely want the truth to stay a secret, and Galo can’t let him get away with what he did.

“We should focus on getting back into the engine room before we plan a complete government overthrow,” Aina says.

“But people deserve to know the truth.” Galo stares at the floor between his feet. “What Kray did was...so wrong, and everyone in the colony thinks that the Burnish walked willingly into their deaths. It’s not right.”

“You’ve got a point, kid,” Ignis grumbles. “But that can come after we decide how to free those people.”

“It’ll definitely be hard to move with the whole city against us, though,” Lucia observes. “We’re almost completely alone in this. But we can’t risk contacting others, not even friends.” Galo raises his head to see her frowning. “The people in this room are our only resources.”

Galo glances around at the others, meeting Aina’s troubled gaze and the unreadable glint of Ignis’s sunglasses. Behind him, Lio is still unnervingly quiet. “That’s all we need,” he says resolutely. “Thyma’s doing her best, so we have to do our best.”

Aina scrunches up her nose. “You could sound a little less like we’re about to play a soccer game.”

He flashes her a smile. “Sorry, inspiration is my first language!”

“Well, it’s too late to do anything tonight,” Lucia says reasonably. “Plus, one-fifth of our team isn’t awake to scheme with, so I vote we continue discussion in the morning.”

“You kids should be safe here for a while,” Ignis assures them. “I don’t know why they’d come here looking for you, but I’ve got the security system set to alert me if someone enters the property.” He eyes Galo pointedly. “So you can get some rest.”

It almost feels wrong to think about sleep after the day he’s had, but Galo can’t deny the exhaustion weighing him down, so he agrees reluctantly.

Lucia and Aina opt to share the guest room, and Ignis offers Galo the master, but Galo turns him down. He doesn’t want to put Ignis out, plus Lio is still asleep on the couch. Galo doesn’t want him waking up with no one around. Ignis doesn’t press the issue, and stacks enough blankets in Galo’s arms to cover a small army.

After Ignis has wished them a gruff goodnight, complete with a fatherly ruffling of Galo’s hair, and disappeared up the stairs, Lucia pats Galo on the arm and heads down the hall. Aina, however, lingers in the doorway, watching Galo pad around the first floor, shutting off lights, dimming the brightness on the TV so that he can still see it but it won’t keep him awake.

When Galo returns to the assortment of blankets he dumped on the floor beside the couch, she speaks up: “Are you okay?”

Galo cuts her a look, gathering all the pillows Ignis gave him into one big pile. “Generally, yeah. I got blasted with one of those ice guns, but it’s cool. Lio melted it right off.” He flexes the arm in question. The redness is mostly gone and the skin is only a little tender. “See? No problem.”

“That’s—” she sighs. “That’s not really what I meant, but I’m not surprised. I was talking about—” she gestures with one hand, and it’s hard to make out her facial expression in the scant bluish light creeping in around the drawn curtains, but Galo imagines she’s pursing her lips. “All of this.”

Galo doesn’t respond right away, spreading out several of the blankets before settling into a cross-legged position, hands on his knees, staring thoughtfully at the floor. “I’m okay,” he says at length, looking up.

“That’s...it?” She sounds disbelieving. “You just found out that your father figure has been lying to you for twenty years, lying to everyone, and now he’s hunting you through the city like a criminal, and you’re just...okay?”

“Yeah.” Galo shrugs. “I mean, it sucks, and I feel like shit, but I’m okay.”

“Galo—” Aina shifts her weight. “Are you sure? Kray is...he raised you.”

“And he needs to go down. I’m handling...all of that fine, Aina.” He smiles, hoping she can see through the gloom. “Don’t worry about me.”

“I definitely can’t help that,” she mutters.

“What about you?”

“Me?”

“I mean—” Galo scratches the back of his head. “You sister—has Heris tried to contact you?”

Aina wraps her arms around herself. “I blocked her number after we escaped the apartment,” she says quietly. “Until I know where she stands on all of this—I can’t talk to her. Galo, I—I think she knew.”

“Maybe not, she might have—”

“She was desperate when she came to the apartment asking about you. And she works so closely with Kray. I just can’t imagine that she didn’t know at least some of the truth. And my mom—” Aina breaks off, voice shaking.

Galo watches her tense silhouette, unsure what to say.

“She _had_ to know,” Aina whispers. “And she kept it a secret for fifteen years, until—she couldn’t anymore.”

Galo remembers when Demeter Ardebit died. It really wasn’t that long ago. He and Aina had just started working as terraformers, after growing up together as basically the only young kids in the government. Heris had to step into her mother’s role almost immediately, and Aina turned to Galo for support while the entire colony mourned. Galo had been the first person she told when she found out it was suicide. He’ll never forget the grief-stricken confusion in her voice when she called him at 3 am.

_I just—I don’t understand why—I was just with her last week! I should have noticed something—_

Anything Galo says right now will ring hollow, but he can’t just stay silent. “I can’t...pretend to know what she was thinking, Aina,” he starts somberly. “And I can’t say anything you don’t already know. But this—all of this...we’re gonna fix it.”

She ducks her head. “It feels selfish to be upset about this—about my mom and my sister, when I know what Lio’s gone through. And that there are still people down there.”

Galo recalls Lio’s earnest acceptance of Galo’s feelings back at the worksite. “Lio’s the first person who would tell you it’s okay. This whole thing—” Galo sighs heavily, “—it’s fucked. No one’s okay. But we’re trying to make it better, right?”

After a second, Aina raises her head, and Galo can just make out the curve of a smile on her face. “Right,” she agrees hoarsely. She raises a hand and swipes quickly under her eye. “Jeez, I wanted to make sure you were okay and now you’re comforting me. Why are you like this?”

Galo laughs softly. “Sorry, I’m just a caring guy.”

She chuckles weakly in response. “Get some sleep. And let me know if you need something.”

“Gotcha.”

Galo watches her walk down the hall and disappear into the guest room. Once the door clicks shut, silence falls over the dark living room.

Well, not complete silence.

Lio’s breathing is soft but distinct in the otherwise quiet room, a whispery rise and fall that nevertheless thunders in Galo’s ears. He leans back against the stack of pillows and lets his eyes linger on Lio’s sleeping outline.

It’s been a long fucking day.

Impossibly, it was only this morning that he woke up with plans to sneak into the Parnassus. He’d only been interested in satisfying Lucia’s curiosity, seeking a thrill in his otherwise routine life, and now, as he lays on the floor of Ignis’s living room, life as he knows it is over.

He’s not sure how long he stares blankly at Lio’s profile. Long enough to drift into some sort of half-aware trance that turns all the emotions roiling in his chest to indistinguishable mush, but suddenly he’s blinking his eyes open to the sound of a ragged gasp.

Instantly on alert, Galo jackknifes upright, but a frantic look around the living room reveals nothing amiss. The gasp comes again and Galo’s eyes fall on Lio. He scoots closer to the couch, rising up on his knees to see that Lio’s head is tossed to the side, expression twisted. The blanket Galo laid over him has been kicked away, and as Galo watches, Lio lets out a strained hiss through gritted teeth.

Slowly, Galo lays a hand on Lio’s shoulder. “Lio, hey—”

At the touch, Lio jolts violently, eyes flying open, and a vice-like grip wraps around Galo’s wrist. Before Galo can react, he’s flat on his back, all the air knocked out of him, and Lio is looming over him, eyes flashing in the dark, free hand raised and glowing.

“Wait, wait!” Galo whispers harshly. “Lio, it’s okay! It’s me!”

Lio blinks, breathing hard. Then he blinks again, squeezing his eyes shut. His hand falters, sparks winking out.

“It’s okay—” Galo repeats, displaying his unrestrained hand in surrender. “We’re safe. I’m the only one here.”

“Galo—” Lio mumbles. “I—sorry, I—” he pinches the bridge of his nose, brow furrowed.

“It’s cool, man. Sorry for—uh...startling you.”

“No, I shouldn’t have—” Lio sighs, releasing Galo’s wrist and moving back. He sits heavily on the floor, elbows braced on his knees, head in his hands.

Galo sits up carefully, watching Lio. His leather outfit gleams indigo in the dim light and his pale green hair looks almost silver, soft and mussed from sleep. “You were having a nightmare, I think,” Galo explains quietly.

“No, I—I don’t—” Lio bites his lip. “Maybe.” He glances up, eyes flicking around the room. “What time is it? Where are the others?”

“It’s late. You’ve been asleep since we talked to Thyma. Everyone else went to bed. We decided to pick back up in the morning.” Lio tenses slightly and Galo hurries to add, “Ignis’s security system will go off if anyone comes. We should be safe for a while.”

Lio doesn’t seem convinced, but he settles down, regarding Galo intently. “Why are you on the floor?”

“Well, uh—” Galo shrugs. “You were on the couch.” He holds Lio’s gaze for a beat. “I took your boots off. I hope that was okay.”

“You—” Lio looks down at his bare feet bemusedly. “Yeah, that’s...fine.”

“Cool.”

A beat passes. Galo can’t decide if it’s awkward or not.

Finally, he clears his throat. “Are you...okay?”

Lio raises an eyebrow. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I dunno, man—after we talked to Thyma you kind of...passed out? That was a little concerning. Plus—” Galo breaks off, darting his eyes away.

“Plus what?”

“Lio, you told us you were dying.”

“I also said I was fine.” Lio scowls. “You believe me on everything else, why not this?”

“I—” Galo huffs in frustration. “It’s not that I don’t believe you, I just—I dunno—I feel like you should be more worried.”

“Nothing useful will come from worrying about something I can’t change. I’ve faced death every day since I awakened to my powers. All I can do is move forward.” Lio tilts his head and his hair sways with the motion. “You seem to have no reservations about throwing yourself into danger. Why aren’t you as worried about your own life?”

“That’s different!” Galo insists.

“How?”

“I—” Galo pauses, considering. “It just is. I know my limits. But it’s not like you’ve ever been away from your fire aliens before, right?” he reasons.

“So what do you suggest I do?” Lio demands, sounding frustrated. “Just sit back and wait? Not use my fire?”

“I’m not trying to say you shouldn’t do anything, I just—”

“Then what are you saying?”

“I don’t know!” Galo whispers forcefully. “I don’t know! But I—this—you’re so— _ugh_ —” he presses his hands over his face to block out Lio’s increasingly baffled expression. “I just—when you said you were running out of time, I got—it’s like there’s ice in my stomach, and I can’t...every time I think about it, it gets worse.”

Lio doesn’t respond, and after a second, Galo peeks through his fingers to find Lio staring blankly in his direction. He clenches his jaw, and Galo can just see the movement in the way the shadows on his face tighten. “I—” Lio starts roughly, “—don’t need you feeling responsible for me.”

He said that earlier too, and Galo feels an echo of the indignant anger that flashed through him then, but he tamps it down, scraping his hands back through his hair to link behind his neck. “What’s so bad about me feeling responsible for you?”

Lio bristles. “What?”

“You heard me.” Galo fixes him with a steely gaze. “In a lot of ways, I _am_ responsible for you. I busted you out of the engine room, and I decided to help you. I turned on the colony because I believe you—you can’t expect me to just sit back and let you die.”

“And I still think you’re an idiot for that,” Lio mutters.

“Well, tough. You’re the one who said we can only move forward.”

Lio frowns.

“But I am...sorry.” Galo leans forward, forearms on his knees, meeting Lio’s surprised gaze. “I wasn’t trying to...scold you earlier. Or tell you how to feel. I wasn’t really angry at you, I was just...angry.”

Lio presses his lips together, scanning Galo’s face with gleaming eyes. “I’m sorry too,” he says at length. “You were concerned about me and I didn’t respond very well.” Lio tangles his fingers together, brows furrowed. “I generally try to avoid people’s concern. It never ends well.”

Back at Aina’s apartment, Lio said that he was the leader of a Burnish terrorist organization, that his only ally disappeared, and that he was betrayed. Back at the worksite, he said he knows what it feels like to think you know someone and be wrong. It’s not a lot, but the vague details Galo’s gathered about Lio’s life so far paint a pretty bleak picture. He’s only known Lio for a day, but now, looking at his small frame hunched in front of him on the floor of Ignis’s living room, Galo can’t help the surge of protectiveness that swells inside him.

“I never break my promises,” Galo swears quietly. “We’re in this together, Lio. I keep you safe, you watch my back. No one is gonna get hurt.”

Lio blinks at him. Then his mouth curves up in a small smile. “I think I believe you,” he whispers. “You’re one of the craziest people I’ve ever met, Galo Thymos, but that might be what we need.”

Galo’s heart flutters like an excitable bird. “Hell yeah, we’re gonna bust this whole thing wide open, and free your friends, and get you all home. Kray won’t know what hit him.” The words are out before he really has a chance to think about them, and at Kray’s name, the giddy pounding in his chest skips sickeningly.

The change must show on his face because Lio’s smile falters and he leans forward, tucking his legs to the side to get closer. “What is it?”

“Nothing, it’s—” Galo shakes his head. He’s been trying deliberately _not_ to think about Kray. He didn’t want to talk to Aina about it and the reminder of his adoptive father stabs like a knife. “Nothing.”

“Why are you angry?”

Galo blinks. “What?”

“A minute ago, you said you weren’t angry at me, but you were angry,” Lio says seriously. “Why?”

“Well, uh—” Galo chuckles awkwardly. “I mean, a lot of reasons, I guess. Everything’s kind of gone to shit, and I’ve just uncovered a massive lie that I believed my whole life. Aren’t you angry too?”

“I’m furious.” Lio’s expression doesn’t waver. “Constantly. I’ve been furious for years. I’m furious right now.”

Galo nods. “You hide it pretty well.”

“Practice. I was frequently on the run with children. You can’t let them know how angry you really are. They won’t understand.”

Galo’s stomach lurches unpleasantly. “Right.”

“Don’t dodge the question.”

“Come on, man—” Galo blows out a sigh. “I told you, right? Earlier? I always thought of Kray as this amazing hero. He saved me, he saved humanity, fucking—” he clenches his fists, digging his blunt nails into his palms, “—all of that. I ate it up. And it was all shit. So yeah, I’m angry. Nothing new there.”

Lio regards him intently and Galo tries not to squirm under the scrutiny. “Earlier, you were upset, but now it’s different.”

“What, can you read my mind?” Galo asks, irritation flashing through him.

“No, but I’m not stupid.”

“And? You wanna play therapist?”

Lio’s spine goes rigid, eyes flashing warningly. “Galo—”

“No, I—” Galo drags a hand down his face, schooling the anger crawling up his throat back into the pit in his stomach. “I’m sorry, I—I’m just tired and—” he sucks in a deep breath, and when he removes his hand, Lio is watching him with an unreadable expression. “Yeah, I’m angry. I’m _pissed_.”

“Why?”

“Kray never called me,” Galo confesses.

Lio tilts his head. “What do you mean?”

“I mean—” Galo gestures to his phone, plugged into a dock on the coffee table, “—from the moment I disappeared with a supposedly dangerous terrorist, until now, he hasn’t tried to contact me once. I thought for sure when I checked my phone, I’d have to see a bunch of texts from him, trying to explain himself—” He shakes his head. “I shouldn’t feel like this. It’s a good thing, really. Not having to deal with him.”

“But?” Lio prompts after a second.

“But—” Galo stares hard at the ground between them. The blanket they’re sitting on features a woven zig-zag pattern in alternating blue and green. As he looks, the colors swirl together. “Why didn’t he call?” he rasps, voice cracking, blinking back the tears gathering in his eyes. “If he thought you kidnapped me, why wouldn’t he even try to reach me? Even if he realized we were working together, I just don’t—” he looks up, into Lio’s steady gaze. “Anyone would call, right? Even if it was just to find me and arrest me. Vulcan said he wasn’t supposed to hurt me, so _why_ —”

“Galo—”

“It can only mean that he doesn’t care, right?” Galo continues, unable to stop the words now that he’s giving voice to the formless anger sitting like a brick in his gut. “He doesn’t even want to hear my side, because he _knows_ I know the truth now. If I’m with you, he doesn’t—doesn’t need me anymore—” Galo gasps, curling his hands into the blanket. “If everything else was fake, our relationship was probably just one more lie—” Kray’s words, from just this morning, ring in his ears like a death knell:

_The colony is counting on you, Galo. I’m counting on you._

“Fuck,” Galo hisses, tearing his eyes back to the blanket. “He used me. And now he’s done with me. And he’s horrible, and I shouldn’t care, but still...for _years_ I did everything to make him happy, so I can’t help thinking—what did I do wrong?” He takes a heaving breath, which stutters as gloved hands inch into view and slide over his clenched fists.

The leather of Lio’s gloves is soft against his skin, and the touch is distracting. When Galo drags his gaze back up, Lio’s face is only inches away. “He used us both,” Lio whispers. “But that doesn’t...have anything to do with you.”

Galo stares at him.

“With who you are, I mean.” Lio pinches his eyebrows together. “No matter what you did, we’d still end up...here. Because you’re a good person, Galo Thymos, and he isn’t.” In the dim blue light, Lio’s pale skin seems to glow. Galo can’t look away. “It’s okay to be angry, but you can’t blame yourself.”

“Lio—” Galo’s voice catches.

“I’ve been there,” Lio admits softly. “Blaming myself for other people betraying me.” There’s a heaviness to his words that speaks of a long, painful story, and Galo wonders, distantly, if someday, Lio will share it with him. “It’s hard not to, but we...you can’t. It will only destroy you.”

“Shit—” Galo mentally shakes himself, allowing rationality to creep back in. “Sorry, I shouldn’t be making you comfort me—”

“If you think you can make me do anything I don’t want to do, you’re a bigger idiot than I thought,” Lio deadpans, and Galo snickers softly.

“You’re a pretty nice guy, Lio,” Galo smiles, flipping his hands over to catch Lio’s fingers in a light grip. Strangely enough, he does feel better. The directionless rage prickling under his skin eases more and more the longer he looks at Lio, small and pale and resolute in front of him. “Even with everything that’s going on, you still take the time to take care of an idiot like me.”

“I said I’m used to traveling with children.” Lio quirks a brow. “This isn’t much different.”

Galo laughs under his breath. “Thanks.” He squeezes Lio’s hands a little tighter. “What about you?”

Lio glances down at their joined hands, then back up. “What?”

“You were having a nightmare earlier. If you wanna talk, it’s only fair if I—”

“No,” Lio says shortly, tugging his hands away. “Thanks.”

Galo’s mouth hangs open soundlessly as Lio physically turns away from him. “Come on, man, we were having a moment!”

Lio spares him an unimpressed look, but Galo doesn’t relent, shuffling closer on the blanket.

“Look, you’ve been through a lot lately, and if _I’m_ having a tough time, I can’t imagine what you’re dealing with, so don’t hold it in, man—I know I’m not the most sensitive guy, but still—”

“Galo—” Lio sighs. “I can’t tell you what I was dreaming about because I was dreaming about nothing.”

Galo blinks. “Huh?”

Lio pulls his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around his legs, staring absently at the closed curtains blocking the light from the windows. “I was...dreaming about nothing. I remember everything from before the ship took off in painful detail. The sounds...the way the pod shook around me...everything. But I wasn’t dreaming about that. There was just nothing.”

“But you….” Galo recalls the frantic gleam in Lio’s eyes when he jerked awake. “You seemed...really scared.”

“I was.” Lio’s honesty is evident in the tense line of his spine. “The nothing was...terrifying.” His lips quiver slightly, opening and closing wordlessly until, after a second, he swallows. “I didn’t think I remembered being stone. My memories of my last minutes on Earth are so clear that I just figured I skipped twenty years, but...maybe I didn’t.” He curls tighter into himself. “Maybe I do remember.”

Galo is a physically affectionate person. Ask anyone, they’ll confirm his first instinct is always a tactile one: a firm pat on the back, a hand up, a piggy-back ride, an arm around the shoulders, a hug—it’s second nature. He must have picked it up from his parents before he was old enough to realize, because Kray was never particularly affectionate in any way, or maybe it’s just innate; either way, the outcome is the same. And up to this point, he hasn’t exactly hesitated to touch Lio, but before now it always felt necessary. At the worksite, he let Lio initiate, and even the small liberties he did take made his heart race. Now, as the horror of Lio’s words sinks in completely, it takes all of Galo’s self-control not to lean forward and wrap himself around Lio, as though he could shield Lio from the nightmare trapped in his head.

Instead, he grits his teeth and waits silently, at a loss. What can you say to something like that?

After a strained, silent moment, Lio screws his eyes shut. “We should try to get some rest,” he murmurs.

“Right,” Galo rasps.

Neither of them move.

Galo clears his throat softly. “Are you...okay?” He cringes. “Uh—in all those layers, I mean.”

Blinking, Lio unravels enough to glance down at himself. He’s still wearing Aina’s stolen hoodie over his leather jacket. “Oh—I—yeah, I guess I should at least take these off.” He tugs his gloves off before shrugging out of the hoodie and reaching for the complex fastenings on his jacket. A hidden zipper and several belts later, Lio is down to a fancy white blouse. The long sleeves gather in cuffs at his wrists, and as Galo watches, Lio loosens the frilly collar around his neck, baring the pale skin of his throat.

Galo’s mouth goes dry and he drops his eyes with a confusing flicker of shame. “Your outfit’s...uh, pretty cool,” he says, unable to take the silence.

“Thank you. The leather is treated to be fireproof.”

“Yeah, that makes sense. You wouldn’t want your clothes burning off every time you use your powers.” The words are out before Galo really thinks about them, and as soon as the image registers in his brain, heat floods his face.

“That would be inconvenient,” Lio agrees tonelessly.

Neither of them move. The silence lays thick on Galo’s flushed skin, prickling unpleasantly.

What is he _doing_? This indecision isn’t like him. Lio is sitting in front of him, motionless, radiating tension, and if he was anyone else, Galo wouldn’t hesitate to reach over and—

He swallows and scoots backward. “Well—” he starts awkwardly, disassembling his pillow pile to spread it out a little. “Ignis’s couch is...pretty uncomfortable, if you ask me. No back support.” He retrieves a loose blanket and drapes it over his legs, leaving a decent amount of space underneath. “And there’s plenty of room down here. I wouldn’t blame you if you preferred the floor.”

Then he lies down, facing away from Lio, and deliberately closes his eyes.

A frozen second passes. Galo’s heart is throwing itself against his ribs so hard he’s sure Lio can hear it. He barely dares to breathe.

After a moment that feels like a week, Lio shifts, the quiet rustling noise echoing in Galo’s ears like a gunshot. Then the blanket is lifted enough for a small, over-warm body to slide underneath. Galo feels Lio settle hesitantly against the pillows and has to suppress a fist-pump. If Lio’s having nightmares, it’s better for him to sleep near someone.

His victorious train of thought stutters at the sensation of heat seeping through the fabric of his shirt.

It takes Galo’s frazzled brain a second to work out that Lio has laid down facing away from him and pressed his back to Galo’s. Galo can feel the tiny knobs of Lio’s spine and the gentle expansion of Lio’s ribs as he breathes.

Galo’s heart swoops down to his stomach and then all the way back up into his throat. Careful not to do anything to spook Lio, Galo relaxes into the pillows. The heat bleeds from where they’re connected into the rest of his tired body, and before he has time to sort his thoughts, the warm tide washes him away.

* * *

“—lo. Galo. Galo.”

The pillar of sun in Galo’s arms is talking to him, shining brightly on the other side of his eyelids, and he scrunches up his face against the light. “Hang on,” he mumbles, burying his face further into the soft warmth.

Hot, bare hands splay on Galo’s arms, and Galo hazily wonders when Lio took his gloves off last night—

Last night. Lio.

Galo goes rigid, drowsiness draining from his body with a stomach-churning lurch, and his eyes fly open, catching sight of a bare nape, framed by pale green hair—the body pressed up against him shifts and suddenly he’s blinking at a keen purple gaze.

“Uh—” he starts dumbly. “Good morning.”

“Good morning, Galo,” Lio responds. “Are you going to let go of me?”

“I—uh—” Galo glances down, finally connecting the warmth radiating through him to the fact that he’s got both arms wrapped around Lio’s middle from behind, keeping Lio pinned against his front. Their legs are tangled together under the blanket and Galo feels blood rush to his face. “Sorry! Sorry!” He jerks backward, releasing Lio and shoving himself upright. “I’m not—I don’t usually sleep next to someone, so I—I didn’t know that I’d—” he breaks off on a nervous chuckle, scratching the back of his head and avoiding Lio’s eyes as Lio sits up calmly.

“It’s...fine,” Lio says, and Galo’s not sure if he’s imagining the color staining Lio’s cheeks.

He swallows. “I hope I didn’t keep you up.”

“You didn’t.”

“Oh. Good!” Galo mutes the little voice in his head wondering how long they were cuddling. “How...do—do you feel okay?”

Lio opens his mouth sharply, like he’s going to snap a response, but then he pauses, closes his mouth, brows knit. Running his fingers through his hair, he sighs. “Yes, I feel fine.”

“Good!” Galo says again.

For a second, they just stare at each other.

Then Lio snickers, and Galo, stunned, fails to react as Lio reaches up and tugs on the drooping end of one of his unruly blue spikes. “I was certain you styled your hair to make it look like that,” he smiles. “But I guess it’s natural after all.”

Galo’s scalp tingles. “Uh—yeah...it’s been like this my whole life.”

“Blue?”

“Yeah?”

For some reason that makes Lio laugh out loud, pulling harder on Galo’s hair, and Galo grins back, retaliating with a hand in Lio’s own mussed green bob.

“As if you can talk!” He ruffles the already disordered locks playfully. “Who has green hair?”

“It’s blond!” Lio insists, batting Galo’s hand away, but he’s still laughing.

“Then so’s mine!”

“You’re blind.”

“How is this—” Galo fingers the end of one of Lio’s longer forelocks, “—blond, exactly?”

Lio rolls his eyes.

“See, you can’t answer!”

“It’s closer to a natural hair color than yours.” Lio punctuates the statement with another yank to Galo’s hair.

Galo pouts theatrically as Lio pushes himself to his feet.

“Where’s the bathroom?”

“Down there—” Galo indicates the door down the hall and Lio heads off. After the door clicks shut, Galo stares at the spot on the floor he was just sitting and absently raises a hand to his head, twisting his hair around his finger.

It’s early in the morning. A peek through the curtains reveals pale, pinkish sunlight just starting to filter through Ignis’s sparse neighborhood, and Galo’s stomach turns anxiously at the thought of what they have to do today.

Ignis ambles downstairs, nodding to Galo with a gruff “Good morning” and posts up in the kitchen. When Lio comes back, Galo takes his turn in the bathroom and by the time he comes out, Lucia, Aina, and Lio are all at the kitchen table speaking quietly while Ignis makes something on the stove. Lio has replaced his leather jacket but it’s open over his white shirt and his gloves are sitting on the table in front of him.

“Get some sleep?” Aina asks as Galo pulls out the chair beside Lio and sits down.

Galo can’t help the way his eyes cut over to Lio. “Some, yeah.”

“Okay,” Lucia starts, arranging her various scanners and devices in front of her on the table. “I’ve been thinking all night about what we’re gonna do, and our prospects aren’t great. They’re definitely gonna have enhanced security around the engine room, probably around the whole ship actually.” She taps her tablet, pulling up the holo-projection Galo recognizes as the interior schematics of the Parnassus. “The hatch Galo went through is for sure a no-go, and all of the other entrances are definitely gonna be guarded.”

“I can handle guards,” Lio asserts.

“Charging in would just bring every Freeze Force agent in the city down on you at once,” Aina argues. “Not even you could handle that. We need to be careful about this.”

“Exactly.” Lucia expands a section of the schematics. “I think our best bet is here. This is an exhaust vent on the edge of the ship. It’s underground, obviously, but it wouldn’t be that far below the surface, and with the mini-Krazors we could bore a hole to reach it.” She scrolls through the blocky glowing lines. “It’s further from the engine room than the hatch, but it probably won’t be guarded, at least not as heavily, and we could get through the coolant system into the main ship.”

“Sounds good!” Galo traces the route from the vent to where he knows the engine room is with his eyes. “They’ll probably be patrolling inside the ship, though.”

“They for sure will be,” Lucia agrees. “So Aina and I think it would be best to split up. We’ll make a lot of noise on the most direct route to the engine room, and you and Lio can go this roundabout way—” she presses a button and a series of lines light up on the projection, outlining a circuitous route to the engine room.

Lio frowns. “That will be very dangerous for the two of you.”

“Lucia and Aina can handle themselves,” Galo assures him. “Right, Captain?”

“Toughest members of my crew,” Ignis responds, dividing several pans of eggs and bacon onto five plates.

“It’ll be tricky to get all of the Burnish out of there,” Lucia says. “But my hope is that if you free enough, we’ll be able to suppress any force that comes to stop you.”

Lio still looks troubled. “I’m not sure how I was freed from the stone in the first place. It’s possible we’ll get down there and there will be nothing we can do.”

It’s a grim suggestion, but Galo knows he has a point. Galo can’t explain what happened when Lio went from statue to person, and that sort of uncertainty makes this whole plan tenuous at best. Still— “We’ve gotta try,” he insists. “We won’t know until we’re down there, and besides—” he lays a hand on Lio’s arm, drawing Lio’s violet gaze, “—didn’t you say those fire alien things are on your side? They want you guys free as much as we do. They’ve been opening the portal, so I’m sure they’ll help us out.”

Lio blinks before his face softens with a smile. “You’re right, Galo.”

“As usual,” Galo preens.

Lucia barks out a laugh and Aina rubs her temples.

“Well, can’t do any of that on an empty stomach,” Ignis reasons, placing a loaded plate in front of Galo. “Eat, then scheme.”

“Yes, sir!”

* * *

They’re almost at the edge of the city in Ignis’s truck before Galo realizes a problem.

“Wait, how are we gonna get the mini-Krazors? Freeze Force swarmed the worksite last night. Going back would be dangerous.”

Lucia just clicks her tongue, shooting him an exasperated eye roll over Lio, who’s sitting between them in the back. “You think I can’t remotely control my babies? You wound me, Galo.” She waves her tablet to illustrate. “Two of them are already waiting for us there.”

“Wouldn’t Freeze Force be suspicious of two mechs just spontaneously flying away?” Aina asks, twisted around in the passenger seat.

“They might be if every mech in the worksite hadn’t suddenly freaked out and scattered of their own volition,” Lucia grins.

Ignis’s mustache twitches.

Lio peers curiously at Lucia’s tablet display and she proudly scrolls through her different programs, explaining her modifications and how everything works. When she comes to a page showing a bunch of different battery symbols, she snaps her fingers.

“Oh right, Galo—I charged your boots and everything last night, so we shouldn’t have a problem staying in communication—” she passes over his earpiece. “Make sure to keep us updated.”

Galo inserts the earpiece with a nod. “You too.”

The outskirts of Parnassus become less and less defined as the years pass and the growing population spreads outward, establishing neighborhoods and businesses on the newly terraformed land. The first modified sections were optimized for farming and livestock raising but everything afterward was carefully engineered for human habitation, allowing for the construction of buildings that were still part of Parnassus’s grid and benefited from the anti-solar flare shields. Ignis’s neighborhood is among these suburbs.

Even farther out lie the more independent settlements, terraformed by individuals interested in forging their own paths on Omega Centauri. Kray freely offered his shield technology to anyone striking out on their own so the settlements increased in number quickly. The most distant is still only about ten kilometers away, however.

The area Lucia directs them to is thankfully still undeveloped, a barren swath of land on the city’s eastern border.

“We’ll have to dig about half a kilometer to get to the vent,” she explains as they gather around the two mini-Krazors hunched on the dusty red ground. The sun is still low on the horizon, Selene gleaming high above it in the pink sky. “We can’t go right to the edge or we’ll be noticed.”

“Got it!” Galo swings into his cockpit, surveying his control panel eagerly. “Just point me in the right direction!”

Aina climbs into her own mech and Lucia exchanges a few words with Ignis, who nods seriously.

Lio is eyeing the mechs over dubiously and blinks when Galo extends a hand down to him.

“It’s a bit cramped,” Galo says. “But you’re pretty tiny, so we should be fine.”

Despite not looking pleased at the assessment of his height, Lio accepts his hand and Galo hauls him easily into the cockpit. The only place he can really fit is behind Galo and Galo tries not to focus on the now-familiar warmth seeping into his back.

“What is this thing?” Lio asks, glancing around at the controls.

“It’s my terraforming mech. Aina, Lucia, Ignis, and I are all in the same crew. Lucia’s upgraded these babies, though.” Galo puffs up with pride as he initiates the mech’s activation sequence and feels the comforting hum come to life around him. “They’re optimized for search and rescue.” He aims a bright smile over his shoulder. “Which I guess is pretty fitting!”

Lio quirks an eyebrow at him but Galo sees the corner of his mouth twitch up.

“I’ll keep an eye out here,” Ignis calls as Lucia scrambles into Aina’s mech with her. “If anything happens, I’ll let you know.” He taps his ear.

Galo throws him a grateful salute. “Thanks, Captain! Take care!”

Aina and Lucia copy him and Lio raises a hand with a somber “Thank you for this.”

Ignis nods. “Good luck, kids. Watch yourselves.”

* * *

The mini-Krazors make quick work of tunneling through the dry earth.

They’re careful to watch the readings to ensure they don’t accidentally strike deep enough to tap one of the vast subterranean veins of liquid water that spider-web across the entire crust of Omega-Centauri, but Galo and Aina are used to this, so it doesn’t take long to hack through half a kilometer of stone. It’s dark underground, lit only by the stark mech lamps, and Lio’s face is washed out and ghostly when he peeks curiously over Galo’s shoulder.

Galo keeps up a running commentary for him, explaining what he’s doing and how the controls work, recounting other times he’s had to burrow like this, partially to fill the silence and partially because Lio seems genuinely interested, chiming in with questions and observing everything thoughtfully. When Galo asks if he likes mechs, he shrugs.

“I’ve never needed to use heavy machinery like this,” he says, “but I’ve always been curious about it. Professor Prometh was working on a mech that could be safely powered by Burnish flame, and, admittedly, I was interested.” In his periphery, Galo sees him frown. “I guess that doesn’t matter now, though.”

“Maybe his research is still out there somewhere!” Galo encourages him. “A mech powered by interdimensional fire aliens sounds so crazy amazing. And even if it’s gone, I bet Lucia could do it with enough time.”

Lio tilts his head, and they’re close enough that Galo feels the ends of his hair brush his bare arm. “You have a lot of faith in your friends.”

“We’ve worked together for a long time,” Galo says. “And Aina and I grew up together.

You couldn’t have run into a better group of people.”

“Well, I managed to find the only people who would be crazy enough to help me, so you have a point.”

“Lucky you!” Galo laughs.

“Yeah. Lucky me.”

When Lucia alerts them that they’ve reached the vent, Galo delivers one final pulverizing blast to the stone in front of them and uses a powerful fan to blow the loosened chunks aside, revealing dusty metal slats. Then Aina carves a hole in the exposed grating with a concentrated laser. A section of the metal falls into the ship and the passage beyond is illuminated by their lamps.

They disembark the mechs, which are too big to fit through the corridors, and Lucia distributes newly charged flashlights.

“Take this,” Lucia says, her voice deadened by the layers of stone pressing in around them, and tosses Galo a familiar boxy device. “It’s charged, and I’ll be able to control it in an emergency, but I might be too busy.”

“Got it.” Galo tucks the cube into his utility belt.

Lucia holds up what looks like the hilt of a kitchen knife with no blade. “And this is a...well, basically it’s a laser knife.”

Galo lights up.

“Calm down. You press this button and a blade comes out. It’s pretty complicated, there are nanomachines involved, but the point is that this should let you cut through anything, but obviously it’s really risky. It hasn’t been tested properly yet either, so watch yourself.”

The hilt goes into a different pouch on Galo’s belt.

“And here’s the map.” She passes Lio a small, portable holoscreen projector. “Pin it to your shirt and it’ll project your route. This moron—” she jabs a thumb at Galo, “—has no sense of direction, so hopefully you can figure it out.”

“Hey!”

Lio pins the projector beside his flashlight.

“We’re gonna be splitting up right away,” Lucia continues seriously. “Aina and I will start making a lot of noise once we’re far enough apart and I’ll keep you updated on my readings inside the ship.” She eyes them both intently. “Be vigilant. We have no idea what they’re planning.”

“We’ll be careful.” Galo leans down and pulls them both into a hug. “And you two—don’t do anything risky.”

“Never thought I’d hear that from you,” Aina gripes, squeezing him back.

Galo smiles as he releases them. “I’m a complex guy.”

“Sure.” Aina turns to Lio and claps him warmly on the shoulder, much to his apparent surprise. “Don’t strain yourself, Lio. We’re all here to help you, so rely on us!”

“Yeah, and if your holo-call opens up again, take notes,” Lucia demands.

Lio blinks, looking a little dazed, before he smiles. “Thank you both. Truly.”

Lucia and Aina climb through the hole first, heading to the right with backwards waves.

One they’re gone, Galo turns to Lio. “Ready?”

Lio looks up at him, gaze resolute, and activates the map projector. “Let’s go.”

Their entrance point is actually part of a system of coolant tubes, which aren’t as large as actual hallways, so Galo has to hunch over to avoid hitting his head. Even Lio is forced to duck a bit.

Lio leads, since he has the map, and Galo follows close behind him, alert for sounds and movement, but the tubes are dead silent, save for their dull footsteps. Their flashlights bounce off the rounded walls, throwing long shadows in front of them. After several bends and an incline that Galo takes pleasure sliding down, Lio pauses in front of a hatch in the floor.

“We need to go through this,” he says, consulting the map.

“Got it.” Galo crouches down and pulls a few tools from his utility belt. A few seconds later, he’s pulling the hatch free and peering into the dark corridor below. “Looks clear. I’ll go first.” Grasping the edge of the opening, Galo lowers himself slowly, like the back half of a pull-up. He drops and lands lightly on the metal floor, ears perked for noises.

When nothing comes, he looks up at Lio, holding out his arms. “Come on—I’ll catch you.”

In the glare of their flashlights, Galo can clearly see Lio scowl, but he doesn’t argue. He nimbly swings down from the ceiling and lets himself fall. Galo catches him easily, bridal style, and smiles at how ruffled he looks.

“Nice aim.”

“You’re a large target,” Lio deadpans. “Put me down.”

Galo gingerly sets Lio on his feet and Lio consults the map before gesturing for Galo to follow him. “This way.”

The halls are just as Galo remembers from his first excursion down here, dark and stuffy, uniformly featureless, but Galo is much more cautious this time. He and Lio listen intently to every noise, peeking covertly around every corner, softening their footsteps as much as possible. It’s apparently effortless for Lio, and Galo tries to mimic his cat-like grace with middling success.

Several winding hallways later, Galo jumps at the burst of noise in his ear and he grabs Lio’s arm to still him.

“Galo—” Lucia whispers harshly, “—we just made contact with some Freeze Force goons—” some muffled shouting, “—not far from the engine room—and we’re on the run—”

“Are you okay?” Galo asks quickly.

“Yeah—their mobility is shit in those armor mechs—but there are a lot—” she breaks off and Galo hears something that sounds like screeching metal, “—I’m reading a lot of dudes in this ship, but it looks like they’re all moving toward us.”

Galo’s chest gives a nervous twang. “Be careful.”

“We are. You guys too.” And the connection goes quiet.

“Lucia and Aina are on the run from Freeze Force,” Galo explains to a tense Lio. “She said it looks like they’re all distracted.”

Lio presses his lips together, pale in the stark light. “Let’s not waste time, then.”

Anxiety twists tighter in Galo’s stomach with every step they take toward the engine room, none of the excited eagerness he felt the first time he broke in to be seen. The corridors start to look vaguely familiar after a while, and at the sound of heavy footsteps pounding the metal somewhere in the distance, both Galo and Lio freeze, pressing their backs to the wall.

Galo taps his earpiece. “Lucia? Are you nearby?”

After a second of buzz, Lucia responds, out of breath: “Yeah, I think we’re near your location. We’re hiding but it looks like we’ve drawn the main force out. This will probably be your best shot.”

“Got it.” With a terse nod to Lio, they dash down the hall.

Only a few beats later, they turn into a hallway Galo _definitely_ remembers, complete with the chunk of metal missing from the wall halfway down. Their bouncing light beams reveal that the corridor is empty. The space beyond the hole yawns, dark and still.

“Okay,” Galo breathes, reaching into his belt and grabbing the laser knife. “That’s the engine room. Let’s just...start at the closest pod and go from there.”

Lio strides to the hole and climbs through almost faster than Galo can keep up with him.

The sprawling engine room, like last time, is pitch black, the scale of even this one small section evident only in the sense of cavernous emptiness that encloses them the second they step inside. Lio’s light footsteps echo eerily as he rushes over to the closest wall, his flashlight glinting off the opaque black surfaces of the pods. Galo follows, swallowing his trepidation, and crowds beside Lio when he stops and presses his gloved hands to the glass.

Galo flicks the button on the knife and a glowing, sizzling blade unfolds from the hilt, tinting their reflections a faint blue. “Alright,” he mutters to himself. “Here we go.”

He locks eyes with Lio through the glass and raises the knife.

“Do you really think I’m that stupid?”

A clear, placid voice rings through the hollow silence and Galo instantly stiffens, ice crystallizing in his gut.

Then he’s blinded by a sudden wave of brightness as the lights power on around them and his ears perk at the whine of guns charging.

“ _Shit_ ,” he curses, dragging Lio behind him and whirling around, knife raised, to see—

Kray, immaculate in his usual white uniform, standing serenely in the middle of the long corridor, flanked by two massive armor mechs.

“Galo.” Kray almost sounds disappointed, hands folded calmly in front of himself. “I really didn’t want to believe it. But here you are.”

A loud clanking to the left announces the arrival of another Freeze Force agent, less armored but still strapped, as he climbs through the hole in the wall and trains his weapon on them.

Lio hisses out a breath and steam seeps through his teeth. It’s only because Galo’s gotten used to it by now that he’s able to catch Lio as he lunges forward, hands glowing. “Kray!” he shouts.

Kray inclines his head dispassionately. “Lio Fotia. It’s been a while.”

“You’ll pay for this!”

Galo casts a desperate look around the room as another Freeze Force goon follows the first through the hole. This is bad. This is really, truly not good. “Lio, we have to get out,” he whispers urgently. “We can’t fight these guys like this—”

“Let me go, Galo!”

“Yes, let him go, Galo,” Kray calls, signalling to the dudes beside him. “This doesn’t have to end badly for you.”

“Shut up!” Galo yells back. He taps his earpiece, saying only “Trap, get out” before cutting off Lucia’s harried “Huh—?” and facing the closest Freeze Force agents.

“Oh, of course we know about your friends. A distraction? Really, Galo?” Kray shakes his head. “I thought I raised you better.”

Galo grits his teeth, tightening his grip on the knife. He wants to yell, to _scream_ at Kray. Why, _why_ did he do it? The lies? The murder? If this is who he truly is, why did he even rescue Galo at all in the first place? But this isn’t the time. “Lio, we have to _go_ —come on, trust me—”

Lio, quivering with rage, searing against Galo’s bare arm, chokes out a furious noise but stops fighting, casting a sidelong look at Galo.

“Galo,” Kray begins again, as the mechs beside him start creeping forward. “I don’t want to hurt you. We can forget all of this if you just hand him over. Nothing is beyond repair yet.”

“No, Kray,” Galo spits. “It’s way too late for that.”

The faint click of a trigger is all the warning he gets and he shoves Lio to the side, diving out of the way of an ice blast. He hits the ground and rolls, narrowly avoiding another shot that coats the wall behind him in jagged ice crystals.

The goon who shot at him charges forward and Galo ducks around him, plunging the knife into the barrel of his gun, and with a high-pitched sizzle, the gun starts smoking. Galo rips the knife out and aims a kick at the stunned agent’s chest, sending him sprawling.

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Lio take down the other armored goon with a precise bolt of fire to the knees, and, with a deft motion, Lio frees the guy’s gun from his hands and turns it on him, encasing him in ice with a quick shot.

Galo doesn’t have time to be impressed before he has to jump out of the way of another ice beam from one of the advancing mechs.

“Here!” Lio shouts, tossing Galo the gun before taking off toward the mech, weaving expertly around the ice that erupts from the floor around him with each blast.

Galo immobilizes the guy he kicked and runs after Lio. No one else has climbed through the hole, which probably means Lucia and Aina still have the bulk of the force on their heels, so if they can just get rid of these guys and get out of the engine room—

Lio leaps over an ice blast and flips onto the mech’s outstretched arm, one hand enveloped in fire, which rapidly shifts, elongating and crystallizing until Lio is wielding a long, wickedly sharp blade. Before the goon can react, he plunges the blade into the mech’s shoulder joint and wrenches it sideways. The arm goes limp with a sound of popping metal and Lio backflips nimbly away as the goon staggers. His face is obscured by his helmet but Galo can only imagine he’s panicking.

The other mech fires at Galo and Galo throws himself sideways, rolling and landing in a kneel, gun raised. The mech is too clunky to dodge and Galo’s blast cements its feet to the floor. Unbalanced, the dude’s momentum carries him forward and he faceplants onto the metal floor with a deafening clang.

“Lio!” Galo calls, switching his aim between the downed mech and the two armored goons, still struggling to free themselves. “Lets go!”

Lio, kicking aside more useless bits of machinery that he clearly tore from the mech’s frame as the dude, several real limbs exposed, flails on his back, shoots Kray a furious look but joins Galo in a dash for the exit.

“I wouldn’t be so hasty.”

Almost against his will, Galo glances back to see Kray, still serene, still unruffled, step aside to reveal—

Lio skids to a stop, staring wide-eyed at Kray, and Galo can only freeze behind him, horror twisting in his gut.

“They’re deceptively fragile,” Kray states calmly, placing one white-gloved hand on the head of the small obsidian statue at his side. It looks like a young girl, short and thin, arms outstretched and face frozen in pain. “We broke a few by accident just running tests.”

“You—!” Lio’s hands erupt in flame. “You monster!”

Kray remains impassive. “We all do what we have to, Fotia. I’m simply willing to go further than most.”

“This was too far, Kray,” Galo shouts, gesturing at the hundreds of triangular windows towering around them, at the hundreds more stretching behind Kray in the rest of the spidery engine room. “And you know it!”

“This—” Kray mirrors the motion, “—was a noble sacrifice for the sake of mankind.”

“It was a genocide!”

“Think what you want.” Kray extends his arm, tilting the statue just slightly without letting go of it. “But stop fighting.”

The fire in Lio’s hands blazes brighter, creeping up his arms, and the panic in Galo’s chest compounds, pulsing faster to match his heart rate.

Desperate, Galo aims the gun at Kray, but Kray just steps smoothly behind the statue, shaking his head.

“Galo, I’m running out of patience for you. Stand down.”

Galo’s hands are shaking. He looks over at Lio, who’s still on fire, but his eyes are wide, terrified, and Galo’s stomach clenches.

“Lio, it’ll be alright,” he whispers, just loud enough for Lio to hear. “The others will get out and think of something. It’ll be okay.”

Lio’s hands twitch, and, slowly, the fire recedes down his arms, fading until there’s nothing left but glowing smoke.

“That’s better,” Kray says. “Galo. The gun.”

Gritting his teeth, Galo lowers the gun and lets it fall to the floor with a clatter.

Kray clicks his tongue. “This whole thing really has been inconvenient. The colony’s been overturned. How will you make up for that?” Not waiting for an answer, he raises his other hand and beckons. “Fotia, come here.”

“Why?” Galo snaps as Lio goes rigid beside him.

Kray regards them coolly. “Is it so wrong to want some distance between a dangerous terrorist and my adopted son?”

The words hit Galo like a physical punch and he recoils even as Lio starts walking stiffly toward Kray. Galo wants to pull him back, images of Lio frozen in that pod flashing through his head, but Kray’s still holding the statue, and the Freeze Force agents are starting to gather themselves around them.

Kray’s eyes are cold as he watches Lio approach him. “You truly only exist to cause me trouble, don’t you?”

Galo can’t see Lio’s face but he sees the way his fists clench at his sides. “You won’t get away with this,” he spits. “You can’t bury the truth. Like you couldn’t bury me.”

Kray smiles gently. “We’ll see.”

He reaches behind his back and Galo barely has time to realize that he’s drawing a gun before the shot rings out and Lio jolts, staggering backward.

“Lio!” Galo lunges forward but a weight slams into him from behind and suddenly he’s on the ground, arms pinned, struggling against one of the armored goons from earlier. “Fuck—!”

Lio collapses with a pained shout and Galo can only watch in horror as sharp translucent spikes erupt from his chest and a sheet of ice rapidly encloses his torso. A flash of purple fire breaks the ice mold for a split-second but it resurges instantly, quickly spreading across Lio’s entire body.

“Lio!” Galo screams, twisting against the grip holding him down. “Kray, you fucking bastard! What did you do to him!”

“Hush, Galo.” Kray paces over to Lio, who’s now nearly completely immobilized but still glowing with sporadic jets of flame. He prods the ice around Lio’s shoulder with his toe. “Stop fighting it,” he advises sedately. “There’s no point. The Absolute Zero Chain-Freezing bullet feeds on body heat. The hotter you burn, the more the ice spreads.” He tilts his head, watching blankly as Lio gasps out steam, the ice creeping up his neck. “Knowing you, it will take a while, but it’s fatal.”

All the air leaves Galo’s lungs.

Kray glances over at him. “Take Galo to a holding cell,” he orders. “I’ll deal with him later.”

“No—” Galo rasps, eyes fixed on Lio as he’s dragged upright. “No—! Lio! No!” He starts to twist away but finds his wrists clamped together in a pair of bulky metal cuffs. “No! Kray—why? Why!”

“We’ll talk soon, Galo,” Kray waves dismissively.

The last thing Galo sees before the blow to his solar plexus takes him out is ice overtaking Lio’s narrowed, furious eyes.

* * *

Galo bangs on the door and screams until his voice gives out, but no one comes.

Freeze Force didn’t frisk him beyond a cursory search for weapons before throwing him in the dim, barren cell, so he still has his earpiece and his boots, but Lucia hasn’t contacted him. Either wherever he is blocks radio communication, or Lucia and Aina were...caught.

He really hopes it's the former.

Nothing he does brings anyone to his cell so he can’t even ask. All he can do is pace and panic about Lio. Even if they’re captured, Lucia and Aina will be fine, but Lio—Kray said that freezing bullet thing was fatal—so he could be—

He’s not sure how much time passes, but it’s enough to numb every feeling except gnawing, bone-deep worry.

Then, just when Galo thinks he’ll go crazy from the uncertainty buzzing in his head, the door clangs, swings open, and Kray steps into the cell.

“Where’s Lio?” Galo demands.

Kray sighs. “Direct, as always.”

“Where is he?”

“You’ll be glad to know that your accomplices evaded arrest,” Kray continues, ignoring him. “And I’m willing to overlook all of your actions in light of the circumstances.”

“Kray—!”

“We’ll have to concoct a story to satisfy the colonists—since this little stunt has generated quite a lot of gossip—but as long as you behave, this will blow over soon.”

Galo stares. “You’re talking like you’ve won.”

“Don’t be naive, Galo,” Kray says smoothly. “It’s over. It never even began. You’re young, and I know better than anyone how reckless you can be, so I am willing to overlook this—”

“Shut up!” Galo shouts, quivering from the effort to keep from punching Kray in his bland, serene face. “Where is Lio?”

“Forget about the Burnish,” Kray snaps, finally showing a hint of emotion. “We have more important things to deal with right now, Galo. Do you understand the position you’re in? What you’ve done is tantamount to treason and if you were anyone else—”

“You lied to us!” Galo bursts out. “For years! You’ve been lying to everyone! Treason? _Treason?_ ” A shrill scoff escapes Galo’s throat. “I freed an innocent hostage and tried to save hundreds of lives! I’m not the traitor here! The one who condemned them all to death and forced ten thousand people into space to fulfill his delusional hero complex is the real traitor!”

A muscle jumps in Kray’s jaw. “You are testing my patience, boy.”

“Fuck your patience! I don’t need your patience!” This is the first time he’s been near Kray since he learned the truth and nothing could have prepared Galo for the horrible rage tightening around him like a vice. With Lio, the anger felt righteous, a noble crusade against a corrupt king, but now, with Kray right in front of him, looking the same as he did yesterday morning, the anger feels desperate. He wants to punch and claw and tear at Kray until he feels some measure of the pain he’s caused, the horror rotting away inside Galo’s chest. “All those people—” Galo’s voice cracks, “—how could you do it?”

Kray regards him with the distant investment of a scientist watching a specimen struggle on the dissection tray.

“Did you care at all? Did it even matter to you?” When Kray doesn’t answer, Galo stalks to the end of the cell. Turns back. “At least—tell me you thought you were doing the right thing—” Galo’s tone edges into begging. “Tell me you regret it—please—”

“I thought you didn’t want me to lie to you.”

“God _damn_ it!” Galo reels around and slams his fist into the metal wall so hard he feels his skin split on impact. The pain reverberates up his arm and he clings to it—anything to distract from the sick pit crawling wider in his gut. “You shoved them into those things and when you couldn’t kill them, you erased them from the schematics and tried to make them disappear!” Galo screws his eyes shut miserably. “You’re—you’re a monster!”

“I don’t know where you got this pointless nobility from,” Kray drawls. “It certainly wasn’t me.”

“You won’t get away with this,” Galo seethes, rounding on Kray. “Once the colony knows, they won’t accept it—”

“The colony won’t know.”

“You can’t hide the truth forever!”

“I’ve hidden the truth for twenty years,” Kray hisses. “This little escapade of yours is _nothing_ compared to rewriting an entire history. Generations from now, humanity will remember the selfless leader that rescued them from the brink of extinction and those filthy _mutants_ rotting away in the bowels of our glorious ark will be hailed as _saviours_.” He takes a step forward and Galo stares at him, rooted to the spot. “No one will know how they screamed and begged, willing to doom all of mankind for their own selfishness. No one will know how Lio Fotia was offered the chance to save thousands of lives and _refused_. The myth I crafted for them is far more than they deserve.”

Galo holds Kray’s cold gaze, gleaming through the dim light of the cell. He’s seen these eyes every single day since his rescue, and he used to admire Kray’s seeming aloofness. His elevation above worldly concerns, viewing everything with efficient care and professional devotion. Kray’s regard was never warm but Galo basked in it anyway. If he thought he wouldn’t recognize Kray now that he knows the truth, Galo finds that he couldn’t have been more wrong.

Kray looks the same as always. But now Galo can finally feel the chill.

“You’re disgusting,” he grits out.

The hand around his neck isn’t a surprise but the force with which he’s slammed into the cell wall knocks his breath out of his lungs and Galo gasps, grabbing at Kray’s wrist.

“Who are _you_ to judge me?” Kray spits, face twisted in sudden fury. “You have no idea what I’ve done to get here! To get us all here! I crawled my way up from nothing and saved every single ungrateful soul on this planet!” His grip tightens but Galo refuses to look away, gritting his teeth. “You should be groveling at my feet along with everyone else! I offered you everything and you betrayed me on the word of one deranged terrorist!”

“Is that why you didn’t call?” Galo chokes.

Kray snarls. “What are you talking about?”

“I could have been kidnapped, or hurt—if Lio is so unstable—but you never called—” Galo drags in a strangled breath, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. “Did you give me up that fast?”

“Galo, I was _busy_ —”

“Once I knew the truth, you didn’t need me anymore, right?”

“Listen closely,” Kray says, voice low, leaning in until his frame blocks Galo’s view completely, coiffed blond hair backlit by the cool blue lights. “Because this is the last time I’m going to say it. This delusional crusade of yours is over. Lio Fotia is as good as dead. You can either stay in this box for the rest of your days or you can go back to the life I built for you. I’ve put too much work into you to just throw you away but I will eliminate anything that threatens the colony. For once in your life, _think_ , Galo.” Mechanically, his hand loosens around Galo’s neck and Galo gasps. “Nothing is going to come of being stubborn this time, because no matter how noble you think you are, how just, nothing will change. Earth is gone and the colony is all we have. I know you’re at least smart enough to realize that.”

Galo tips his head back against the wall and narrows his eyes at Kray, a rough chuckle escaping him. “You’re wrong.”

“Galo—”

“Earth isn’t gone.”

Kray rolls his eyes. “Surely, even your optimism has its limits.”

“I’ve seen it.” Galo knocks Kray’s arm aside. “Earth didn’t die—the rest of humanity is still out there.”

“How could you _possibly_ know that?”

“That doesn’t matter. What matters is that there’s still time to stop this, Kray.” Galo fists his hands at his sides. “Admit the truth, free the Burnish, and we can all go home.”

For a beat, Kray just stares at him, and Galo meets his eyes steadily, breathing hard.

“I don’t have time for your nonsense,” Kray says finally, stepping away. “Take this chance to consider your position. I don’t want to have to punish you more than necessary, Galo, so I suggest you think hard about your future and stop pushing your luck. Bear in mind that my affection won’t save you if you persist in this.” He turns to go.

Galo pushes away from the wall. “Where’s Lio?”

Kray ignores him, signalling through the cell door’s small window. He doesn’t glance back as the door whooshes open, his broad, white back obscuring the light of the hallway.

Then Galo is alone again.

* * *

_As good as dead_.

That’s all Kray said. Not _dead_ , not _shattered_. _As good as—_

Galo has never been one for words, but he obsesses over these as the hours stretch on.

At least Lucia and Aina got away. There’s still no word from them, which must mean Galo isn’t getting any signal. He hopes they’re with Ignis and safe.

The only way to keep track of the time is the sporadic meals delivered to his cell, which he barely touches, stomach twisted in knots from stress and worry, but he thinks days have passed. Weeks, maybe. Years.

When he manages to sleep, his brain replays the last time he saw Lio, over and over, the ice spearing through him, enclosing his small frame as he writhes in pain, the desperate fury in his eyes—Galo lunges forward, Lio’s name on his tongue, but his screams die when his hands land on cool, smooth obsidian, gleaming black in the glare of his flashlight, but this time his touch does nothing. He cups Lio’s blank face, willing the stone beneath his hands to flicker to life, but it’s still and dead and cold and a dull clack rings out behind him. Whipping around, his flashlight sweeps across a dark, silent cemetery, Burnish statues stretching endlessly into the distance, reaching upward with frozen, clutching hands. Each body both a gravestone and a grave.

He turns back, paralyzed in horror, and Lio’s statue shudders, a deep crack spidering from his open mouth, down his neck, over his chest—and then Galo’s ears are echoing with the sound of splitting stone—he reaches out just in time to catch the shattered segments of Lio’s body in his arms—the floor tilts and the statues tumble apart with a deafening crash—

The room shakes again, and Galo gasps, eyes flying open, but instead of statues, he sees the featureless walls of his cell, but before he can shake the dream from his head, the crash comes again, so violent that Galo actually slides backward, striking the wall as he tries to sit up.

“What the—” he nearly bites his tongue as the cell shudders around him and he lurches upright, bracing against the wall. The lights flicker dangerously.

He stumbles toward the door, to call for someone, demand to know what’s going on, but he’d barely taken two steps when the door slides open, revealing Heris wobbling in the doorway.

“Heris?”

“Galo, you—” she breaks off and they both reach for something to hold onto as the room jolts again. The noises are muffled but still loud, obviously emanating from somewhere beyond the building. “You have to come—”

“What’s going on?” Galo rushes to her as soon as the floor stills. “Where’s Aina?”

“I don’t—I don’t know—” She takes him by the arm, turning wide, fearful eyes up at him, and presses something to his chest. With a confused glance, Galo realizes it’s his utility belt. “You have to do something! It’s Fotia—he’s—”

Panic zings through Galo like an electric shock. “Lio? What about him? Where is he?”

Heris gestures broadly around them as the world shakes again and it clicks in Galo’s head.

“Is he doing this?”

“Come on!” Heris starts dragging him down the hall and Galo quickly catches on, matching her pace until they’re both running.

“What happened?” he asks loudly over another menacing rumble, struggling to buckle his belt around his waist.

“I don’t know!” Heris calls back. “We moved him to the lab—we didn’t think—but he broke out of the ice and—and he went ballistic!” She leads him around the corner and they have to dodge a group of frantic-looking people in lab coats as they sprint past. “There’s—something’s wrong with him!”

“What?” Galo shouts, dread pooling in his stomach, trailing Heris up a stairwell. “What do you mean?”

“Just—” Heris bursts through a door and pulls up short. “Look!”

Galo crowds behind her, emerging into a windowed corridor facing the city’s northern plaza, and his eyes go wide.

Parnassus is in flames.

The whole plaza is ablaze with raging magenta fire, climbing the sleek white buildings, throwing dancing chromatic shadows across Heris’s stricken face. A massive, undulating pillar of crystalline fire is coiled around the Myth of Mankind monument, twisting up and out of sight even when Galo presses his face to the window, craning his neck. The blocky column of the Foresight building is spraying concentrated streams of something at the arcs of fire lashing around it, but Galo can see that the structure is starting to waver under the onslaught, shuddering dangerously with each thunderous crash.

“What the _fuck_ —” Galo swears, scanning the scene frantically. “Where’s Lio?”

“He’s—!” Heris points hysterically upward, at the main body of swirling, shifting flame where it vanishes from view.

“ _What?_ ”

“Please, Galo—” she grabs her own hair, watching the carnage outside, “—you’re the only one who can stop him! If this goes on, the whole city—”

“What did you do to him?” Galo demands.

She shakes her head, eyes brimming with tears. “Nothing—nothing—the chain-freezing bullet—I’m so sorry—” she gasps. “I’m sorry, I knew it was wrong, but I still—”

“How do I get outside?”

“Down—down there—” she points, “—a door—”

Galo takes off without waiting for her to finish.

Almost as soon as Galo pushes outside, fighting against the blast of heat that hits him like a physical wall, his earpiece crackles to life.

“Galo!” Lucia’s shrill voice screeches in his ear. “I’m reading you again!”

“Yeah, I’m out of whatever was blocking the signal.” Galo looks around wildly. “Are you here?”

“Aina and I are a few blocks from the plaza—the fire is everywhere! It’s coming out of the sewers! I had a visual on Lio a few minutes ago, but—”

Galo edges forward and cranes his neck back, gaping as the full breadth of the snaking fire pillar towers into view. It’s not just a shapeless column of flames—hundreds of feet up, near the geometric peak of the Foresight building, Galo can make out teeth and spikes and one huge, pitch black eye. “Holy fuck.”

“Are you seeing it?”

“I see it.” Galo can only stare, breathless at the immense display of power thrashing in front of him. The fire—creature is breathing jets of flame at the tower, wrapping its massive body closer and closer as it takes out the cannons lining the corners. “Lio is in there?”

“In the eye!” Lucia yells. “I only saw him for a second but—Galo, he doesn’t look good.”

Galo’s stomach sinks. “Where are all the people?”

“Looks like everyone was evacuated to the underground shelters, but if this goes on much longer, the whole city will be leveled!”

“Shit.” Galo stares helplessly up at the thrashing fire dragon circling the building. As it rears its head back, emitting an ear-splitting screech, the prismatic flames around its obsidian eye condense, shifting into a deep, mournful blue, and drip, almost like liquid, down its neck, until they melt into the riot of colors swirling inside its enormous body. Galo’s heart seizes painfully at the realization that— “He’s crying.”

“What?”

He’s moving before he even thinks about it, taking off across the plaza. “Lucia—” he yells, dodging around flaming debris, “—I need to get up there!”

“Up there!?”

“—the boots, can they handle that much height?”

“I mean—in theory! Yes!” Lucia sounds frazzled. “The biggest problem would be your balance—if you tip over the boots will shoot you right into the ground!”

“Then I won’t tip over!”

“What exactly are you planning to do?”

Galo ducks under a spout of fire and finds himself in front of the large statue of Kray that figureheads the Foresight building. The white marble is chipped and layered with ash. “I’m gonna go get Lio.”

“—said he’s going up there—the boots—” Lucia’s voice fades a bit, as though she’s speaking away from the mic, and split second later, Aina’s voice is screeching in his ear:

“Are you crazy!”

“I’ll be fine.” Galo shoves one of the sliding glass doors open and races into the expansive foyer. It’s deserted, as expected, and the roar of the attacking flames choruses around him as he heads for the elevator. “I’ve got a plan.”

“Which is?”

“I’m gonna grab him,” Galo says, jabbing the button, relieved when the doors slide open.

“Grab him?” Aina repeats incredulously. “Galo—he’s hundreds of feet in the air and surrounded by fire!”

“I’ve got hover boots.” The elevator only trembles a little with the next crash and Galo quickly selects the top floor and punches in the rapid ascent command, bouncing from foot to foot as the car starts to rise.

“You’re going to get yourself killed—think about this for two seconds—”

“I don’t have time to think!” Galo bursts out, watching the number on the screen tick higher and higher. “I have to get to Lio before he burns out! Or before Kray kills him!”

“God! Fine!” Aina shouts. “You get him down and I’ll pick you up in the plaza, got it?”

Galo smiles. “Thanks, Aina!”

“Don’t die!”

There’s some rustling and then Lucia’s voice is back: “Where are you right now?”

“Elevator.”

“It’s still working?”

“Yeah, it’s—” The car shudders violently, sending Galo pitching sideways, and the lights flicker. “Uh—” Another jolt and the car lurches to a stop, plunging Galo into darkness. “No.”

“Looks like power’s out for the building.”

“Cool, no problem, I got this—” Galo feels around for the door and digs his fingers into the small seam between the polished metal slabs. “I think I was around the eightieth floor already, so it’s—fine—” With a heave, he wrenches the doors apart a crack and a ray of light streams in. He shoves his shoulder into the gap and pries it wide enough to slip through.

It looks like he didn’t quite reach the next floor, so he has to haul himself up a small ledge before standing, looking around wildly. The hall is dim, lit only by colorful, ambient light glowing from one end so that’s where Galo goes, sprinting as fast as his legs will carry him.

The entirety of the Foresight building is faced with one way, floor-to-ceiling windows that offer sweeping views of the entire city and, right now, a front-row seat to the bands of fire wrapping around the structure. Galo’s jaw falls open as the thick body of the fire creature whips past him on the other side of the glass. Even with the layer between them, he can feel the heat, already stinging like a mild sunburn. It’s impossible to believe that all of this power came from one person, but Galo vaguely remembers something Lio told him: _I’ve always been more powerful than the average Burnish_ —is this what he meant?

Even if it is, using this much fire at once—the fear in Galo’s chest squeezes tighter.

“I’m gonna take the stairs to get as high as I can,” he tells Lucia, running for the stairwell.

“Do you still have your gear?”

“Oh—right!” Galo glances down at his utility belt. “Heris gave it back! I’ve got—” he rifles through the pockets, thundering up the stairs, “—the knife thing and your flying device!”

“Sweet!” Lucia cheers. “Toss it!”

Galo lobs the little box into the air and it transforms quickly, falling in beside him as he reaches a landing and mounts the next set of stairs.

“Dude, you look wrecked,” Lucia says, able to see him now that the device is active.

“I’ve been in jail for—” Galo pauses, thinking, “—how long was I gone?”

“Four days, bro.”

Galo nearly chokes. “ _Four days_?”

“Yeah, Kray made an announcement saying the terrorist had been dealt with but they’ve tried to keep the whole thing quiet. We couldn’t figure out where you were or what actually happened to Lio. We figured Kray wouldn’t kill you, but Lio—”

“He tried,” Galo admits bitterly, pounding up another staircase tirelessly. “He shot Lio with some sort of special freezing bullet—said it was fatal, but I don’t know—” A deafening roar cuts him off and the floor shakes violently, forcing Galo to grab the rail for support. “Shit!”

“Oh no—” Lucia’s voice pitches up. “Oh fuck—”

“What?”

“It looks like Kray’s on the building—”

“ _What_?”

“I think he’s standing on his office—I can’t get a good visual through the smoke, but I think it’s him—”

“Damn it!” Galo rockets the rest of the way up the staircase. “Would it be faster to keep climbing the stairs or do I need to go out a window?”

“Window! Window!” Lucia sounds like she’s vibrating. “Go out a south-facing window!”

“Got it!” Galo slams out of the stairwell and races down the hall, looking around wildly. Kray’s office juts out over the floating south wing so it’s easy to get his bearings once he’s washed in the light of Lio’s flames. “Lucia!”

“Step back!” The floating device zooms over to the window and beams its laser at the glass with a high-pitched sizzle. Like last time, it carves a hole and Galo pushes the circle of glass out.

Instantly, Galo is assaulted by heat and noise as a tonal roar splits the air. His hair whips around his face as he braces a foot on the opening and leans out. It’s hard to see through the smoke and brilliant light, but the constricting body of the fire creature is unmistakable as it flashes by meters from Galo’s nose. “Oh fuck!”

“Galo, you have to be careful! Some of that fire is hitting temperatures capable of boiling your brain in your skull!”

“Awesome, I’ll keep that in mind,” Galo mutters, tapping the wrist control to activate the boots and feeling them buzz awake. He looks up, but he’s still several floors below the floating wings and the blocky structure is blocking his view of what might be happening at the top. He takes a deep breath, the air searing in his lungs. “Let’s do this.”

Like every other time he’s used the boots, Galo’s stomach swoops dizzyingly as gravity tries to pull him down and the boots push him up. He keeps a hand against the window to balance himself, standing on thin air. Even with everything that’s going on, he can’t resist a breathless laugh. “Lucia, these are so sick.”

“I know. Now get going!”

Galo doesn’t have time to ease into it, each quake and horrible, strangled cry from the fire creature tightening around his heart like a vice, so he cranks the power on the boots all the way up and shoots skyward. His heart is throwing itself against his ribs, but at least with all of the smoke he can’t see exactly how high up he is. If he could, he’s not sure his fragile human body would be cooperating with him.

A scorching blast crashes over him and he wobbles dangerously before catching himself against the building, pulse pounding in his ears, but he doesn’t stop, using the windows and smooth exterior walls sliding past him to keep himself steady in the choppy, burning wind.

When he hits the perpendicular metal where the shortest section of the south floating wing joins to the main column of the building, he inhales shakily.

“Doing alright?” Lucia asks, sounding strained.

“Yeah.” Galo pushes off again, quickly rising in the crook of the south and west wings. The smoke is even denser up here and Galo can feel it coating his throat. He braces one arm in front of his face to keep it out of his eyes as he climbs. “Can you see Lio?”

“He was circling the building a minute ago, but now—”

With a thunderous groan, the whole building sways and Galo, startled, windmills his arms to stay upright. He snags the edge of a windowsill and clings, chest heaving, until the shuddering dies down.

“Oh shit, I think he’s seen Kray—”

Swearing, Galo pushes upward. He rockets past a dozen floors, blinking through the haze, until the crowding structures of the floating wings disappear and he’s once again gliding up the sheer face of the skyscraper.

Finally, he can see the jut of Kray’s office, sticking out several floors above the south arm, and the massive, screeching head of the fire creature as it rears back and aims a blast at the building.

Galo hunkers close to the building, feeling the super-heated air crash against him, and when he blinks his eyes open, the creature is shivering, letting out a low, anguished keen.

Heart thundering, Galo lets the boots carry him rapidly upward. When he reaches the clear box of Kray’s office, he latches on and drags himself up the tall window panes until he reaches the top. He cuts the power to the boots and hauls himself onto the roof, forcing his shaking legs to stand upright.

“Holy shit you made it!” Lucia is yelling, her device whirring around his head, but Galo doesn’t have time to celebrate.

He catches sight of Kray’s broad figure outlined in vibrant light at the edge of the roof just as the colossal head of the fire creatures looms out of the glowing smoke. It twists sideways to regard Kray with its single eye and for the first time, Galo can make out the lone figure suspended inside the stygian orb.

“Lio—!” Galo breaks into a run, focused on the pitch-black silhouette. “Lio—stop! It’s okay! Stop!”

Kray jerks around, staring at him in disbelief. “Galo—?”

The figure in the eye curls in on itself and the fire creature shimmers menacingly.

Raising his prosthetic arm, Kray turns back to Lio. “Stay out of this, Galo!” His arm starts emitting a strange, pale steam, but Galo doesn’t wait to see what he’s going to do.

Without breaking stride, Galo grabs Kray by the wrist, flinging him backwards with an adrenaline-fuelled burst of strength, and lets go just as he launches himself off the edge of the roof.

The boots, sensing the shift in gravity, activate instantly, and Galo uses the surge of flight to propel himself directly at the eye, slamming into the surprisingly solid surface with a pained grunt. “Lio!”

Inside the gleaming orb, Lio looks terrible. His outline is glitching and flickering like the boundary of a wildfire, his skin dyed a mottled, sooty black, and when he swings his attention on Galo with a full-body jolt, his eyes are wide and crazed, the whites contrasting sharply with his skin and wild, waving hair. The sight punches the air from Galo’s chest.

A glimmer of what might be recognition passes behind Lio’s frenzied gaze, and he snarls, revealing unnaturally sharp teeth: “Don’t stop me!”

Galo struggles to cling to the smooth, round eye, fighting to keep the boots underneath him as the hot wind buffets him from all sides. “You’re killing yourself!” Galo grits his teeth against the extreme heat pressed against his bare skin. “Lio, please—!”

Lio roars and the fire creature swells, arcs of flame licking outward. “Kray has to pay for what he’s done to us!” he screams, thin frame convulsing with rage. “If I have to burn myself and this whole city down, I will!”

Hissing at the wave of scalding flames crashing around him, Galo fumbles for his utility belt. “I’m not going to let you kill yourself or anyone else!” He wraps his hand around the hilt of the laser knife and rears his arm back, flicking the activation switch. “So just—cool down!”

Slamming his arm down, Galo feels the sizzling blue blade sink into the glassy material of the eye, and the orb depressurizes with an eruption of superheated steam. Galo screws his eyes shut as the scorching blast washes over him, reaching forward blindly until his hands hit leather and a familiar, bony frame—

He lets himself fall, pulling Lio into his chest, angling them down so that the thrusters on his boots rocket them out of the maelstrom of flame, vaguely in the direction of the ground. Lio struggles against him, but Galo just holds tighter, tucking Lio’s head into the crook of his neck with one hand as the wind whips past them. After a beat of rapid free-fall, Galo chances a glance back.

The fire creature, without Lio inside generating it, swirls apart, violet flames dissolving into the air with a last ear-splitting cry. Lio echoes the wrecked, desperate sound and Galo feels nails digging into his back.

“It’s alright—” Galo presses the words into Lio’s hair even as the wind rips them from his mouth. “It’s okay, Lio—I’ve got you—”

As soon as they break through the haze of smoke and Galo can see the ground rising rapidly toward them, he twists his legs underneath himself, guiding them into a more controlled fall, clutching Lio even tighter. Lio is shaking violently against him, the heat of his body seeping through Galo’s clothes, and Galo wonders idly how burnt his skin is going to be, if he'll be able to trace the outline of Lio’s figure like a brand on his chest.

The buildings rise around them, and the fire surrounding the plaza is still blazing but fading by the second. As soon as Galo can see his distorted reflection in the pool in front of the Myth of Mankind, he boosts the power on the boots, cutting their momentum as much as possible, and the surface of the water ripples violently away from the resulting blast. Galo’s stomach lurches at the sudden deceleration and he taps the control to guide them gently to the ground.

There’s no time to steer away from the pool, and Galo splashes down into the shallow water with a thud, legs buckling immediately. The instant Lio hits the surface, a brassy hiss splits the air and Galo tucks his face down to protect it from the viscous steam that billows around them.

By the time Galo picks his head up, the pool is completely empty, bed dry as a bone, and the air is heavy and warm with humidity. Galo coughs instinctively, throat raw from smoke and wind and screaming, and finally unlocks his grip on Lio, forcing his stiff arms to relax enough to lay Lio on the ground.

By the dying light of the surrounding flames, Galo can see that the black is starting to retreat from Lio’s skin, seeping away to reveal a bone-white face and closed, shadowed eyes. Lio doesn’t react when Galo calls his name or shakes him and Galo feels the panic, numbed by adrenaline, come rushing back.

“Lio, please—” Heart in his throat, Galo cups Lio’s jaw and presses a shaking hand past the tall collar of his jacket to reach the rapidly-cooling skin of his neck. “ _Please_ —”

The steady thrum beneath his fingers is enough to make him light-headed with relief.

He slumps, gasping raggedly, limbs suddenly weighing a thousand pounds. A buzz to his left makes him drag his head up to see Lucia’s device hover over to them.

“Is he okay?” she asks urgently.

“He’s alive,” Galo rasps, rubbing his burning eyes.

“Are _you_ okay?”

“Yeah, I’m probably lightly barbequed, but I’m fine—” he glances around at the dying fires and smoking debris. “We need to—” before he can finish, Lio convulses violently beneath him, letting out a hair-raising scream, and his hands fly to his head.

“Lio!” Galo reaches for him on instinct but Lio thrashes out of his grip, curling into himself, clutching at his head like it’s trying to split apart.

“What’s happening?” Lucia shrieks.

“I—I don’t—” but just then, a familiar hum spears through him, rattling the air around them, and Galo’s words die in his throat.

Hands on Lio’s shoulders, he turns just in time to see the air in front of the statue rend apart in a sickeningly familiar display of crystalline sparks and blinding light, but instead of the window-sized portals he’s seen so far, this shimmering rift is massive, hovering dozens of feet in the air like an enormous screen. Thyma’s voice, when it warbles through the vibrating connection, booms throughout the entire plaza:

“Lio! Lio, are you there?”

From his vantage point, Galo can just see Thyma’s huge figure flitting about, but the image is staticy and faltering, as though the reception is weak.

“Remi and I have been contacting other Burnish and I—I think you’re right!” Thyma babbles, words echoing deafeningly. “It looks like Burnish all over the world have been feeling something strange since about a week ago! I think they can tell the Promare are trying to connect us—and the news says Promare activity in the earth’s core is higher than it’s been in twenty years!” She sucks in a quick breath before narrowing her eyes, apparently noticing for the first time that something is different. “Wait—what the—”

Galo waves an arm. “Thyma!”

She blinks, focusing down at him, and her eyes go wide. “Lio! What happened to him?” She presses against the portal. “Why were you guys silent for so long? What’s going on?”

“Thyma, you need to cut the connection somehow!” Galo yells, pulling Lio’s trembling form into his arms. “Lio can’t sustain it!”

Gasping, Thyma waves her hands around the edges of the portal, flames glowing at her fingertips. “I—I don’t know how! It just opens on its own! Why is it so big this time?”

“I don’t—”

Lio screams and his voice cracks on a sob, face twisted in agony.

“Please, Thyma!” Galo begs, holding him closer even as he writhes desperately. “Do something!”

“Oh— _fuck_ —!” Thyma screws her eyes shut, palms pressed to the portal. “Please please please close! You’re killing him! Promare—please!”

Galo heart hammers painfully in his chest, and he can barely breathe, watching the portal fearfully as Lio cries and Thyma pleads—

Then the portal shimmers, and the air hums again as it rapidly contracts. Galo barely has time to glimpse Thyma’s relieved expression before the opening shrinks over her, closing with a spray of sparks and a pressurized _pop_ that makes Galo’s ears ring.

As soon as the portal is gone, Lio goes slack in Galo’s arms, completely dead weight, and Galo fumbles frantically to check his pulse again. It’s still there, beating fast and erratic under Lio’s skin, but before Galo can even wrap his head around what just happened, someone is calling his name, motorized rumbling thundering through the plaza.

“Galo! Galo!”

He raises his head to see Aina bringing her bike to a stop in front of the pool. She’s wide-eyed and gaping openly at the scene, hair windswept from riding without her helmet.

“What happened?!”

“A lot of stuff,” Galo chokes out, gathering Lio to his chest and rising on unsteady legs. “We have to go!”

“Go where?” she asks, even as she revs the engine, scooting forward to give Galo room. “Lucia, Ignis, and I have been underground all week but Freeze Force is everywhere!”

“It doesn’t matter,” Galo insists, sliding in behind her and making sure Lio is secure between them. “We just have to get away from here for now!”

As Aina peels out of the square, Lucia’s voice crackles over the comlink again. “I just received a secure communication with directions,” she explains quickly. “Someone is trying to get me to lead you somewhere!”

Galo glances over at her device, whizzing along beside them. “Who is it?”

Some rapid-fire clicking. “I think—I think it’s Heris.”

Galo grits his teeth. She’s Kray’s head scientist, but she’s also Aina’s sister, and she released Galo to save Lio. And besides—they don’t have many options. “What are the directions?”

“Galo—!”

“I think we can trust Heris for now. It’s a gamble, but it’s all we have!”

Lucia groans. “Fine! Directions incoming!”

Galo bows his body over Lio to shield him from the wind and feeds Lucia’s instructions into Aina’s ear as they speed through the city.

* * *

The first time Galo saw the Myth of Mankind statue was the same day most of the colony saw it: the unveiling ceremony.

Galo stood next to Kray in the gaggle of other government officials, barely five years old and struggling to stay still in his stiff formal clothing. Every inch of his tiny body was vibrating with boredom, shifting restlessly and looking around at the assembled people as somber orchestral music played. Only the presence of Kray at his side and the promise he made earlier to behave kept him in check at all.

If he glanced back, he’d be able to see Aina, all prim in her nicest pink dress, standing beside her older sister and their waifish, red-haired mother, but the last time he did that, she made a face at him and Kray frowned when he retaliated, so he kept his eyes forward as the music swelled and, finally, faded.

Kray patted him on the shoulder and stepped forward to climb the steps to the small stage set up in front of the towering structure still covered in a huge, draping tarp. When Kray took his place behind the podium, the enormous crowd stretching behind Galo, filling up the plaza, rustled and murmured.

“Citizens of Parnassus,” Kray began, voice reverberating through the sound system. “Brave pioneers of Omega Centauri, at last we have gathered to pay homage to those on whose shoulders we stood in order to achieve the salvation of humanity. Despite our repeated clashes with the Burnish back on Earth, when they were called for an impossible task, they answered selflessly.” Kray ducked his head for a beat, visibly gathering himself, and even though Galo was too young to fully understand what Kray was talking about, he knew grief when he saw it. When Kray looked back up, his gaze was sorrowful. “Through their precious sacrifice, the Burnish ensured the future of the human race. This gesture pales in comparison to what we owe them—” he raised an arm, signaling for the tarp to be removed.

As the fabric fell away, revealing smooth, shining black stone, Kray lifted his chin solemnly. “May they forever remain the myth of mankind.”

Galo stared in awe at the massive structure, jaw dropped. The group of humanoid figures were generic and featureless, but the dark stone gleamed, reflecting light in shifts and sparks as cameras flashed all around them. The largest figure, arm held aloft to cradle a glittering crystalline flame that morphed into the jetstream of the Parnassus ship, stood proud, blank face turned skyward, and as the rays of the sun caught in the sculpted flame, it seemed to dance like a real fire. Galo couldn’t tear his eyes away from the flickering light, and if he focused, it almost looked like the flame was really moving, pulsing as the statue flexed its obsidian fingers.

The Myth of Mankind flattened its palm, sending the fire blasting upward in a blinding stream, and Galo could only watch, rooted to the spot, as it turned its head and opened piercing violet eyes, pinning Galo with unerring intensity. Black stone lips parted, but the blood was rushing too loudly in Galo’s ears for him to make out what Lio was saying—

Galo jerks awake, heart racing.

The drab metal ceiling of the underground bunker stares back at him as Galo gasps air back into his lungs, shaking his head against the remnants of the dream. Quickly, he pushes himself up, scanning the room and finding it empty and silent.

Empty.

His recollection of arriving at the hidden bunker is scattered, clouded with adrenaline crash and pain seeping into his slowly un-numbing body, but he remembers deliriously refusing to surrender Lio to Aina and Heris, desperate to keep him close as long as possible. And his solitude now jolts him off of the narrow cot onto his sore, unsteady legs.

He doesn’t recall being treated for his injuries but when he takes stock of himself, he notes bandages wrapped tightly around the areas currently screaming the loudest and the astringent scent of burn cream lingering on his skin.

His shirt’s gone, and Galo lays a hand on the clean gauze wound around his torso, pressing hard enough to feel the burns underneath sting.

The room seems to be some sort of rudimentary dorm, or possibly a medical bay, with several simple cots and a row of cabinets with a sink along one wall. There’s a door opposite Galo and he stumbles toward it. As he grabs the handle, the murmur of voices reaches him through the smooth metal.

He wrenches the door open and the talking sputters abruptly, the group in the next room turning as one to face him.

“Galo!” Aina shoots to her feet and hurries over to him. “Are you alright? How do you feel?”

“I’m fine,” he responds automatically, sweeping his gaze around the space as she starts fussing with the bandage on his left arm. “It’s nothing really, I barely feel anything—” It seems to be a control room, starkly lit, with monitors set in the walls and instruments blinking away on a long workstation. The assembled group is gathered around a central table, Heris and Lucia bent over several glowing tablets, Ignis leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, and Lio—

“Lio,” Galo breathes, stepping forward, eyes raking over Lio’s figure.

He’s upright, standing behind Lucia’s chair, looking pale but whole, and staring back at Galo with the same desperate relief Galo can feel thundering through him. “Galo—”

Galo trips forward and Lio moves to meet him, mouth open like he’s going to say something else, but before he can make a sound Galo is pulling him into his arms, stooping to hook his chin over Lio’s shoulder and press Lio completely against him. Lio goes rigid, hands hovering over Galo’s back for a beat, before he relaxes, like a knot untangling, and clings back just as tightly.

The rest of the room falls away and Galo turns his face into Lio’s hair, breathing in the faintest hint of smoke and sky. Through the layers of clothes and bandages, Galo can feel the embers of Lio’s usual heat, not quite back to normal, but a vast improvement over the unnatural chill he plunged to after the portal closed. His frame fits perfectly into the most sensitive areas of Galo’s chest and Galo closes his eyes to savor the burn.

After a hazy second, however, he has to pull away, and Lio clears his throat, lowering his arms, but neither of them step apart.

“Are you okay?” Galo asks intently, hands on Lio’s shoulders as he examines him. Lio’s sleeves are gone, leaving the long, pale lines of his arms bare, and Galo can clearly see the ragged hole in the front of his jacket where Kray shot him, along with the white column of his throat now that his undershirt is almost completely gone. “That ice bullet thing—”

“I’m alright,” Lio cuts him off, placing his hands over Galo’s and meeting his worried gaze evenly. “I took care of it.”

“Took care of it?”

Lio nods but doesn’t elaborate. “Galo—what you did was incredibly dangerous. You could have died.”

Galo beams down at him. “Yeah, but it’s fine! I’m totally good!”

“Try singed from head to toe,” Aina drawls, reminding Galo that they’re not actually alone.

He looks over to find her scowling at him from where he left her in the doorway. “It can’t be that bad.”

“You’re covered in first degree burns, and the one on your chest might be second degree in some places!” She sticks her fists on her hips. “I saw the video of what happened on the Foresight building—what were you thinking?”

Galo laughs, rubbing the back of his neck.

“He wasn’t thinking anything,” Lucia pipes up. “You know that.”

Aina huffs in frustration. “You’re lucky it wasn’t worse. Most of those flames were hot enough to melt steel.”

“Yeah….” Galo glances back at Lio. “Getting off with just some minor burns _is_ pretty lucky, now that I think about it.”

Lio’s gaze darts away.

“We patched you up,” Aina sighs, “but none of us are medically trained beyond basic first aid.”

“Eh.” Galo rolls his left shoulder, testing the ache in his muscles and the sting of his skin. “Basic first aid’s all I needed. Thanks guys!”

Aina rolls her eyes and Lio shakes his head.

“Glad you’re feeling better, Galo,” Ignis says gruffly, pushing away from the wall. “The past few days have been stressful, even more so for you two, I imagine.”

“Heris filled us in on everything that happened,” Lucia explains.

Galo looks at Heris and she meets his eyes nervously, hands clenched together in front of her. “You on our side now?” he asks simply.

She blinks. “I—I—” Her hands drop to her sides, fisted resolutely. “Yes. I’m sorry...for being late.”

Galo grins. “Awesome! That’s six people! Just fifteen thousand more!” He laughs and Heris looks at him like he’s crazy.

“You’re...you’re not mad? After what I did?” Her stare bounces around the room, conspicuously avoiding Lio. “I—I knew the whole time, since I took this job. And still, I—”

“Yeah, we all fucked up—” Galo waves his hand. “But we’re trying to fix it now, and we really need your help to do that.” He glances at Lio. “Right?”

Lio crosses his arms. “Kray is at the center of all of this. Everything else is unimportant until we deal with him.”

“Yeah! So don’t sweat it, Heris. You’re here now, and that’s what matters. Speaking of—” Galo takes in the boxy metal room again. “Where is _here_?”

Aina pulls a chair out and gestures to it. “You really were out of it when we arrived, huh. Sit down and we’ll explain.”

The bunker, as it turns out, was built by Aina and Heris’s mother not long after the Parnassus landed. Just outside the city limits, dug out of a rocky cliff face, the small refuge is stocked with monitoring equipment and emergency supplies, completely protected from radar scanning.

“She knew what kind of man Kray was,” Heris says quietly. “And she wanted a back-up plan in case he decided she knew too much. I worked out the location from some of her old personal notes.” She laces her fingers together on the table. “After I...found out the truth, I was shocked my mother could be complicit in something like that, but from her old files it looks like she was planning to expose Kray and built this bunker to keep me and Aina safe if things went wrong.”

Aina shifts her weight, eyes downcast.

“Her old stuff was hidden—I only found it recently, so Kray shouldn’t know about this place. But he did find out she was going to reveal the truth, and—” she breaks off, cutting her gaze to her sister. She doesn’t need to finish—even Galo can see how that situation must have played out.

Looks like Demeter Ardebit didn’t kill herself after all.

Any shock or revulsion Galo would have felt at discovering another of Kray’s crimes drowns under the surge of determined anger. “Then it’s up to us now,” he says. “We can finish what she started.”

Heris’s glasses glint in the harsh overhead light. “Right. I have to confess, I...I wasn’t sure if I wanted to risk it. It seemed too dangerous—but after seeing what Kray did to Lio, how far he was willing to go—” she grits her teeth. “My mother knew it was wrong and I do too. I can’t sit back anymore.” There are several tablets scattered on the table and she holds one up for the room to see. “Everything my mother gathered is on this tablet, all the proof she could find.”

“That’s great!” Galo exclaims. “We can show the colony and—”

“It’s not that simple, son,” Ignis cuts him off. “The gossip around the city the past week has been crazy. People definitely saw Lio’s Burnish flame when you two escaped Freeze Force, so the rumor mill was already turning, but even in the day since Lio attacked the Foresight building, things have been bad. The folks who remember the Burnish are worried the mutation is coming back, and Kray has been running propaganda videos on the Sight System with all sorts of lies about what happened. The city is scared, and right now they think Kray is the only person they can trust. Some uncorroborated documents aren’t going to be enough.”

Galo sags. “Oh.”

“But it’s a start!” Lucia insists. “People are suspicious right now. No matter what Kray says, he can’t erase the massive Burnish display Lio put on for the whole city to see, plus the portal—”

“Right!” Galo sits up. “It was huge! People must have seen it!”

“Almost the whole colony was in the underground shelters, but some people did see it, mostly Freeze Force agents, but word’s gotten around to the population. I have it on video, of course, but that wouldn’t do much now. The rumors, however, are spreading.” Lucia scrolls through her tablet intently. “There’s lots of counter-information from the government, but people are still talking about it, and even Freeze Force is shaken. I don’t think they’re all in on the secret.”

“We think that the best course of action now is to reveal the truth to the colony,” Aina adds, one hand on the back of Galo’s chair. “Our last plan was all we could do at the time because we didn’t have any support, but now that the city is unstable and we have mom’s files, it might not be impossible to unseat Kray. Then we could free the Burnish without any resistance.”

Hope flutters in Galo’s chest and he slides a look at Lio, who’s sitting beside him. “Yeah, that could work. People should know the truth, anyway.”

“We’ll need something more substantial though,” Lucia goes on. “Something that would turn the whole colony against Kray at once. We wouldn’t be able to manage a civil war, and Dr. Ardebit’s stuff is irrefutable to me, but the colonists are still basically eating out of Kray’s palm, so it definitely won’t convince everyone.”

“Something substantial,” Galo repeats thoughtfully.

“Some solid proof, or a confession, or something. Heris obviously knows everything, but it’d be easy for Kray to discredit her. He might even start once he realizes she’s missing.”

Unbidden, Kray’s words back in the cell rise to the surface of Galo’s mind: _I’ve hidden the truth for twenty years. This little escapade of yours is nothing compared to rewriting an entire history._ He catches Lio’s gaze. “Kray’s always been good at giving speeches,” he starts meaningfully.

Lio stares at him for a beat, then a small smirk curls the corner of his mouth. “You’re right. He sure loves to talk.”

“Sorry, what?” Aina asks, looking between them. “Do you think you’ll be able to get him to confess?”

Galo shrugs. “He admitted to everything when he came to see me in jail. If there’d been a camera there….”

Lio turns back to Lucia, who’s leaning over the table with wide eyes. “The Sight System,” Lio starts. “Tell me about it.”

* * *

The bunker is accessed by a metal hatch with a ladder leading to a small entryway that feeds into the main section, and the hatch itself is protected by a rocky overhang that shields it from overhead surveillance. The overhang is part of a larger outcropping on the edge of a shallow ravine, where Ignis’s truck and Aina’s bike are currently parked to keep them hidden.

Galo sees all of this when he climbs out of the hatch in search of Lio a few hours after their strategy session. Lucia is still typing away on the bunker’s equipment, working on the beginning of their plan, and the others are trying to get some sleep. It’s been a long week for all six of them, and the bunker is as safe as they can possibly get, given the circumstances, so they should take the opportunity to rest. That includes Galo, he’s aware, but he has something more important on his mind.

Lio isn’t far, seated right outside the hatch and leaning against the dusty red rock framing the little alcove, eyes on the craggy earth stretching into the horizon. The sun is just beginning to rise, early morning light blooming a deep pink on the reddish stone and catching in the palest highlights of Lio’s hair. He doesn’t look over as Galo hauls himself out the hatch and closes it with a dull clang, but he does glance at him when he leans back against the rough rock wall across from Lio.

“You should be resting,” Lio says quietly.

Galo shrugs one shoulder, crooking a leg up to rest his arm on his knee. His other leg stretches out toward Lio. If Lio straightened his out, they’d be able to knock ankles. “I’ve got time. Lucia’s just starting to wrestle with the code.”

Lio’s eyes, lightened to lilac by the pastel sunrise, linger on the bandages still displayed on Galo’s shirtless chest and Galo follows his gaze.

“There’s an outline—” he starts, tracing the vague edge of the worst pain, “—around here—shaped like you.” He huffs out a laugh. “Pretty wild, huh?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Nah, it was my own dumb ass that decided to grab you like that.” Mindlessly, Galo lays his hand over the bandages.

“Why did you?”

Galo looks up and meets Lio’s shining gaze. “There’s no way I was gonna let you kill yourself like that.”

“There had to be other ways,” Lio insists, expression unreadable. “Something that didn’t involve climbing a skyscraper and diving into a firestorm.”

“Probably, but—” Galo scratches his cheek, “—I just...I couldn’t really think. I just had to get to you. That’s all I cared about.”

Lio presses his lips together. “I already knew you were an idiot, so I’m not sure why I’m acting surprised.”

Galo laughs. “Yeah, I’m an idiot, but look! We’re both here! And neither of us are even dismembered!”

Seemingly against his will, Lio smiles back. “That’s true. Thank you.”

“I promised, didn’t I?” Galo leans his head back against the rock, grin softening into a crooked smile. “We’re in this together. I keep you safe, you watch my back. I slipped up in the engine room—” his stomach clenches at the memory, “—but not again. I’m not gonna let anything happen to you, Lio.”

Lio stares at him before visibly swallowing. “I...appreciate it. I don’t usually...lose control like that. I’ve always had to be careful, ever since I awakened to my powers, and that was the first time I’ve really—” his gaze drops. “Lost myself.”

Galo scratches a nail against the rough stone beside him, recalling the glassy, frenzied look in Lio’s eyes when Galo leapt into the fire. “It was crazy,” he agrees. “How...how did you get like that? After you got shot—what happened? No one would tell me.”

Absently, Lio raises a hand to the hole in his jacket. Through the shredded leather, Galo can make out smooth, pale skin, no bullet wound to be seen. “It’s hazy,” he confesses quietly. “The ice was feeding on my power, but I couldn’t stop my fire from trying to melt it. It was just instinct. If I had stopped, I probably would have died, but I wasn’t thinking about that. I couldn’t really think about anything.”

“That bullet would have just kept going,” Galo realizes. “Until you had nothing left.” Kray must have thought Lio would eventually wear himself out and succumb to the ice, which explains his confidence back in Galo’s cell. If Lio was anyone else, any other Burnish, he might have been right. Galo feels a chill trickle down his spine. “And you’d have no way to replenish your fire.”

Lio nods grimly. “I don’t know where I was,” he continues. “And I don’t know how much time passed. I could only feel...the cold.” He crosses his arms over his chest, staring down blankly. “Until it all just went away. I ripped the bullet out and then—”

“Wait—whoa—” Galo leans forward. “You _ripped_ the bullet out? Like, by yourself?”

Lips pressed together, Lio finally meets Galo’s eyes again. “Yeah.”

“Holy shit.”

“It wasn’t that impressive. I don’t really remember it that well.”

“Still. You’re so badass, Lio.”

Lio huffs. “Was it badass that I nearly reduced the entire colony to ash while out of my mind with anger?”

“Honestly?” Galo leans back. “Kind of. Not the whole—almost killing everyone thing, but...that fire dragon was—” Galo breaks off, images of towering prismatic flames flitting through his head. “Amazing.”

“I wasn’t in control of it,” Lio grimaces. “Not really. I was just—so furious, and...and in so much pain, I couldn’t—” The muscles in his arms tense as he tightens them around himself, breaking Galo’s gaze. “I just needed to get to Kray—I had to make him pay for what he did. I would have burned myself up to do it.” Something about the hollowness in Lio’s expression tells Galo that he still would.

Silence stretches between them, heavy and coiling around Galo’s lungs until he can barely breathe.

“After all that stuff I said to you—” Lio says finally in a subdued voice. “About not blaming yourself, and I still—” He swallows. “I’m such a hypocrite.”

“Do you...blame yourself for what happened to the Burnish?” Galo asks, feeling like he’s walking out on a thin, unstable bridge. But he’s got to get to the other side, and this is the only way through.

“I’m the only one I _can_ blame.” Lio’s voice rises abruptly, echoing in the stone alcove. “Kray is a monster, and I can never forgive him for what he did, but I’m the one who couldn’t protect Professor Prometh, and I’m the one who let a traitor into our settlement.” He curls into himself, head turned aside. “I wasn’t strong enough to save the Burnish, and when Kray sealed me into the engine’s core, I couldn’t do _anything_ —I couldn’t—” he cuts off, inhaling sharply.

Galo watches him, anxiety twisting in his chest. “It wasn’t your fault.”

Lio screws his eyes shut and covers his face with his hands.

“Lio, that wasn’t your fault.”

“What do you know?” Lio groans, voice muffled.

“Absolutely nothing!” Galo shifts up onto his knees, leaning forward with both hands on the stone between them. “But I know none of what happened was your fault!”

“Galo, you—”

“Were you expecting me to just agree with you?”

Lio glares at him from between his fingers. “What?”

“Saying that stuff—you know I wouldn’t just nod and move on, right? Of course I’m gonna say it’s not your fault! It’s not! Nothing you confess to me can make me change my mind!”

“I—” Lio moves his hands up to fist in his hair, “—I could have done more! Prometh said I was the most powerful Burnish he’d ever encountered—it was my responsibility to protect everyone and I—I just let them die!”

“You didn’t!” Galo insists. “They’re alive!”

“I didn’t know that!” Lio’s face crumples. “I couldn’t see out of the core—I was stuck inside that pod in that huge glass thing and I—I was alone when—”

Galo’s breath catches in his chest as the image spears through him.

“And whether or not they actually died—the outcome is the same,” Lio continues harshly. “I couldn’t do anything! They trusted me to save them, and I—I—” he shudders, folding into himself.

Galo lurches forward, close enough to feel the radius of Lio’s body heat, but he keeps his hands curled into fists on the ground, scanning Lio’s rigid frame helplessly. “Lio—”

“If I have to die to—to atone for that—” Lio chokes. “I’ll do whatever I have to—”

“No!” Galo cuts in, anxiety darkening to desperation inside him. “No—please don’t think like that—”

“It’s my responsibility!”

“Dying isn’t the answer!”

“I’m not suicidal,” Lio snaps, jerking his head up to fix Galo with blazing eyes. “But I’m not going to hold back!” He shakes his head, looking away again. “Why am I even telling you this?” he mutters furiously. “Why am I talking about this at all—how do you do this to me, Galo Thymos?”

Galo doesn’t have an answer, his heart throwing itself higher into his throat with every frantic throb, and he can only stare as Lio pulls his knees into his chest.

“After I pulled that bullet out, there was only rage and fire—” Lio hisses, holding his head in his hands like it’s about to split apart. “I was ready to die—I was _going_ to die, and as long as I took Kray down with me, I didn’t care—but then—” his gaze flickers back to Galo’s. “You. You were there.”

Galo’s thundering heart skips dizzyingly.

“It was so stupid of you to come after me like that!” Lio growls. “You could have been killed! _I_ could have killed you!”

“But you didn’t,” Galo whispers.

“If I’d been any less aware, I would have burnt you to ash!”

“But you didn’t! Lio, you didn’t!” Galo finally reaches out, placing his hands over Lio’s where they’re still gripping his head. “We’re both still here! You didn’t hurt me!”

Lio blinks at him, violet eyes glittering. “No, I—I didn’t want to hurt you, I—” he swallows. “You were...the only thing I….”

Galo tugs lightly, pulling Lio’s hands down, and shuffles forward until he can press Lio’s palms to his chest, against his bandages. “I was surrounded by fire,” he says softly, watching Lio drop his stare to their joined hands. “I should be burnt to a crisp right now.”

“Anyone else would be,” Lio forces out.

“But this is the worst that happened to me.” Galo can feel the light singe of Lio’s skin through the bandages and his burns sting in response. “Even through all of that pain and—and anger, you held back for me. And we’re both still here.” Galo quirks the corner of his mouth up in what he hopes is an encouraging smile. “You must really like me.”

Under his hands, Galo feels Lio’s fingers twitch, and for a beat, the rustle of dry wind over stone fills the space between them. Then Lio cuts his eyes up to Galo’s. “Yeah. I do.”

Galo’s stomach flips. He’s the one who said the words, but having it confirmed with Lio’s usual intensity is just—

Lio spreads his hands, splaying his fingers across the banadages. “I like you so much that it saved my life yesterday,” he says somberly. “I was willing to bring the whole city down with me, but not you. I want you to make it out of this, Galo.”

For a second, Galo can only stare back, chest tight. The burns peppering his body pulse hotter in time with his heartbeat, the heat from Lio’s hands bleeding through them. Slowly, he shifts his weight, lowering their joined hands and maneuvering over to Lio’s side, settling back against the rock face, close enough to press against the hot line of Lio’s bare arm. Lio follows him with smoldering violet eyes, glancing down when Galo adjusts his grip to lace their fingers together.

When he lifts his gaze again, Galo smiles at him, head tilted down to account for the height difference. “Let’s both make it out of this.”

Lio’s lips part slightly, and Galo hears his quiet intake of breath.

“I can’t wait to meet your friends, Lio,” Galo says. “And I can’t wait to finish this whole thing and get everyone back where they belong. When we do that—” he squeezes Lio’s hand, “—let’s hang out, okay?”

“What?”

“I wanna get to know you, Lio. Without all of this. So let’s promise to hang out when this is all over.”

After a second of blank staring, the corner of Lio’s mouth twitches. “You’re not sick of me by now?”

“No way, man,” Galo scoffs. “You’re the most interesting thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Lio’s smile creeps wider. “I think I can say the same.” He almost sounds relieved.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Galo beams. He looks out over the glowing ravine. The sun is inching steadily higher in the pink sky. “Be honest with me,” he starts, sobering quickly. “How much have you got left in the tank?”

Lio is quiet for a second, and when Galo glances back down at him, he’s staring at his knees, brows furrowed.

“Lio?”

“Enough,” Lio says vaguely.

“Enough for what?”

“Whatever I have to do.” Lio clenches his jaw, and, this close, Galo can see the little muscle near his temple jump. “I don’t have...long. But if our plan works, that won’t matter.”

“Yeah.” Nevertheless, the cold pit in Galo’s stomach twists nervously, and he rips his gaze to the rock wall, biting his lip. “Just—get some rest. You’ve been through a lot.”

“Hm.” Something soft and warm lands on Galo’s shoulder and he looks down to see Lio leaning against him, eyes sliding closed. “Just—stay there for a minute.”

Galo’s heart flutters, so rapidly he’s sure Lio will be able to feel it, but he holds still obediently.

“Galo Thymos,” Lio says, after a moment of rustling quiet.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you for finding me.”

Galo stares down at him, cataloguing the pale crescents of his closed eyelashes, the way the pink dawn light crests on his cheekbone, the gentle slope of his neck as he allows his weight to rest on Galo’s shoulder, and some of the ice in Galo’s stomach thaws.

“No problem, man,” he rasps, squeezing Lio’s hand. “I’ll find you as many times as it takes.”

Only when he feels Lio’s breathing even out does he look up, watching the lightening sky over Lio’s head.

* * *

“Promise me you’ll be careful.”

Galo glances away from the motorbike controls to meet Aina’s stern gaze. “When am I not careful?”

She grimaces. “Not funny.”

“I’ll be fine. No more giant firestorms or climbing skyscrapers, probably.” Galo chuckles as his own words register in his brain. “Wow. The past week sure has been...something.”

Aina sighs, looking aggrieved. “You always said you wanted more adventure than you could get in Parnassus.”

“Yeah.” Galo runs a hand through his hair, sitting back against the saddle of Aina’s motorbike. “That’s true.”

“Before all of this, I sort of thought—” she bites her lip, glancing up at the darkening sky, “—we’d leave the city and find that adventure together.”

Galo recalls her offer, made what seems like a million years ago, before he found Lio, of escaping to one of the settlements together. At the time, he’d been tempted, but his resolve wavered after his meeting with Kray. Regardless, the thought hasn’t been on his mind the past few days. “I hope you’re not too disappointed.” He looks up at the sky as well. The sun is gone, leaving the ever-present circle of Selene, alongside the larger, more scarred face of Hecate, currently rising into view. “But we’ll have plenty of opportunity for more adventure when we all get back to Earth. Besides—” he shoots Aina a bright smile, “—uncovering a massive government conspiracy is pretty good, right?”

She blinks, but instead of smiling back, a furrow appears between her eyebrows. “Galo, be honest—if this hadn't happened...would you have come with me?”

“I mean—” Galo braces his arms on the handlebars and leans forward, lips pursed. “Maybe? I was definitely thinking about it, and it sounded like a good idea—but I also thought I’d be joining the government someday, and Kray expected me to—” he breaks off, gritting his teeth. “So...I don’t know.”

She crosses her arms, ducking her head slightly. “Yeah. And now I guess we’ll never know.” This solemnity is unlike her, and Galo opens his mouth to ask if she’s okay, but she keeps going, sliding a look over in the direction of Ignis’s truck: “He’s...really something, huh?”

Galo follows her gaze to see Lio listening seriously to something Ignis is saying, nodding along curtly. He’s draped in a borrowed jacket Ignis snagged from his house before sneaking Lucia and himself to the bunker. Galo is wearing a loaned shirt as well, a bit too large thanks to Ignis’s barrel chest, but the sight of Lio’s small frame swallowed in the dark fabric is much more endearing somehow. “Lio? Or Ignis?”

“The one with fire powers.”

Galo laughs. “Yeah, he...he really is.” As he watches, Lio reaches up to tuck his hair behind his ear and says something in response to Ignis. Galo can’t hear his words, but the intensity with which Lio speaks shows on his face, and Galo feels his wide smile soften, eyes lingering on the firm line of Lio’s spine, the slight tilt of his head. Lio doesn’t talk with his hands like Galo does, but if you pay attention, his body language is just as loud. “Can honestly say I never saw him coming,” Galo says absently.

Aina hums, startling Galo out of his musings, and when he looks back at her, she’s still watching Lio thoughtfully. “That’s how it usually goes, huh,” she mutters, like she’s talking more to herself than anything else.

“How what goes?” Galo asks.

She shakes her head, turning back to him. “Look after yourself, alright? And look after him.”

Hitching his smile back up, Galo flashes her two thumbs up. “On it. Just trust me, Aina. We’re gonna set this all straight.”

Instead of rolling her eyes or patting him indulgently like usual, Aina bites her lip, a distracted look on her face. “Yeah.”

Galo furrows his brows. “Is something wrong?”

“No, I just—” she starts hesitantly, uncrossing her arms to pick her thumbnail. “I’ve been—actually, this isn’t the time—”

“Hey, come on—” Galo leans forward, concerned. “If something’s bothering you, I wanna help.”

“Jeez, Galo, you’re so—” she sighs, scraping at her cuticle. “The thing is—it’s...my...my mom—”

Galo’s chest clenches. Right. The revelation about her mother, in the middle of all of this—it can’t be easy. Carefully, he reaches out and stills her fingers. “Your mom was a good person, Aina,” he says, voice low. “And we’re going to make Kray pay for what he did.”

She inhales haltingly. “Is it bad that I don’t feel better about it?” she asks, eyes shining. “I mean—she’s still dead. And—and maybe if she hadn’t been such a good person, she’d still—” she cuts herself off, looking stricken. “No, that’s horrible—I wouldn’t want that—”

“Aina.” Galo takes her hands in both of his, peering up at her with all the sincerity he can muster. “You don’t have to figure out how you feel about this right now, and no one’s gonna blame you for any feelings you do have. I can’t say anything that will just...make it better, but I’m positive—” he sends her a small, soft smile, “—that she’d be proud of what you’re doing now.”

Aina’s brows pinch together and her lips quiver, but she swallows hard and nods, jaw set. “You’re right.”

“We’re gonna fix this, thanks to her. And thanks to Heris. And thanks to all of you.”

“It’s not like you to pass the glory,” she teases. It’s a little strained, but it still makes Galo’s chest warm.

“Just this once,” Galo shoots back. “Don’t get used to it.”

She snorts, pulling her hands away to swipe quickly under her eyes, a tense smile curving the corner of her mouth. “See you on the other side, Galo.”

He opens his arms and she walks into him, letting him wind around her in a crushing hug. She laughs wetly and gives as good as she gets.

* * *

Night settles a quiet, tense blanket over Parnassus. Even the ever-present street lights seem dimmer than usual, and the streets are empty of citizens. Officially, the lockdown ended after the fires went out and folks returned to their homes, but the fear is still palpable in the stillness of the air.

They have to time their arrival carefully. If they get there too early, they run the risk of being caught. Galo told Kray not to bring any back-up, but he’s not going to take any promise from Kray for granted. And Lucia whispers in his earpiece as he speeds through the streets that Freeze Force is patrolling out of sight of the plaza.

Behind him, Lio is plastered to his back, arms around Galo’s waist. He feels heavier than the last time they rode like this, as though he’s actually resting his weight against Galo. Either he’s displaying trust in a very feline manner or he’s worn out, despite sleeping most of the day. Perhaps both.

With Lucia’s instructions, Galo avoids the roving Freeze Force agents and parks the bike on a sidestreet leading to the northern plaza, running a hand through his windswept hair and checking the flashlight pinned to his shirt.

Lio dismounts stiffly and Galo follows, meeting Lio’s eyes in the shadows of the alley. “Ready?” he asks.

Lips pressed together, Lio nods. Maybe it’s the dim light, but he looks even worse than he did back at the bunker, the bags under his eyes dark and heavy, and there’s a brittleness about him that sits so wrong with Galo that he feels goosebumps rise along his arms.

Stepping closer, Galo reaches forward and catches Lio’s hand. “Take it easy, yeah? No fireworks.”

Lio lifts an eyebrow. “It’s strange to hear that from a walking firework like you.”

“Jeez, you sure think you know me, huh?” Galo chuckles.

In his grip, Lio’s fingers twitch. “I do.” His eyes gleam in the dim light. “Know you.”

He says it with all the gravitas Galo has come to expect from Lio, that same crushing pressure that puts Galo in mind of avalanches and black holes, pulling him in and drowning him and filling him up all at once. But there’s an undercurrent of gentleness that weaves between the bones of Galo’s ribcage, surrounding his thrumming heart with light.

The same way he knew that he could trust Lio mere hours after meeting him, Galo leans into that instinct now. “Yeah,” he rasps. “I know you too.” He smiles. “So let’s do this quickly, alright?”

Lio nods seriously, tightening his grip on Galo’s hand.

Kray’s broad form is already casting an imposing shadow in front of the Myth of Mankind statue. The reflecting pool is still dry and empty behind him and the lights constantly trained on the statue throw him into sharp relief, hiding his expression in darkness as Galo and Lio approach. He’s quiet, standing still with his hands behind his back, until Galo stops about two meters away, and Lio steps up beside him.

When Kray speaks, his voice is as soft as usual, but it carries to Galo like the blare of an emergency siren: “I was surprised to get your message.”

“Why?” Galo asks.

“Please, Galo. I raised you. Giving up like this isn’t your nature.”

“It’s not unconditional.” Galo clenches his fists at his sides, glancing over at Lio’s stony face. “We’ll stop disturbing the colony if you let us free the Burnish and send them back. No one will have to know the truth, but if those people are still alive, keeping them down there is pointless. You’ve already migrated; letting them go home won’t change that.”

“What home, Galo?” Kray asks, sounding exasperated. “Earth is gone.”

“It’s not,” Lio grits out.

“I know you saw the portal, Kray,” Galo says. “That woman is a Burnish living on Earth. We’ve spoken to her several times and Earth is alive.”

Kray shakes his head. “This is all nonsense, Galo. I don’t know what you think you saw in these _portals_ , but there’s no way Earth could have survived the eruptions twenty years ago. I was at the head of that research. Do you really expect me to believe you despite my own scientific findings?”

“Have you seen the dead planet?” Lio snaps. “You claim it’s impossible for Earth to be alive, but where’s your proof? You have no idea what happened after the Parnassus warped and you’re content to keep all of these people in ignorance as long as it keeps you in power.” Lio takes a half step forward, chin raised. “You never actually cared about saving humanity; you saw the potential destruction of Earth as a chance to mythologize yourself.”

Even though Galo can’t see Kray’s eyes, he feels the cold laser of Kray’s gaze shift to Lio. “Those are strong words from the self-proclaimed leader of the Burnish. As if your supposed authority didn’t arise from manipulation and selfishness.”

Lio bristles and Galo grabs him by the shoulder. “We didn’t come here to argue,” he says quickly. “Lio and I are willing to give ourselves up in exchange for the Burnish in the engine room. Come on, Kray,” he entreats. “This atrocity has gone on long enough.”

For a beat, Kray is still. Then he steps toward them, the harsh shadows sliding off his face to reveal freezing disdain, eyes hard and hollow. “Do you really think,” he starts icily, “that you have leverage here?”

“If you don’t take our deal, we’ll tell the whole city the truth,” Galo responds stiffly. “You have a choice between moving forward with the colony, or losing it all. Or—” Galo’s voice catches, “—you could always come clean by choice. Admit your crimes and try to atone. You still have a chance to make this right, Kray. Come on.” Lio tenses under his hand, but he has to try. One last time.

Any hope he may have had vanishes in the disgusted narrowing of Kray’s eyes. “Is this what it comes down to, Galo?” he asks, voice low. “Begging?” His upper lip curls. “You’re in no position to bargain with me.”

“We can ruin you,” Lio snaps. “We have the truth.”

Kray laughs coldly. “You don’t even have _that_ , mutant. For all your sleuthing and grandiose declarations, even you couldn’t discover everything.”

The pit in Galo’s stomach, forgotten in the face of the tentative hope planted by their plan, slashes open again with a nauseating lurch. “What do you mean?”

Smiling, Kray spreads his hands. “I suppose I’ll tell you, as a final favor before I put this whole charade to rest. I know that Earth is gone because I signed its death warrant.”

Galo’s breath stalls, and a fine tremor runs through Lio, up Galo’s arm where they’re connected.

“Prometh discovered that the Burnish were connected to the increased volcanic activity in the core,” Kray continues with the casual airness of one recounting the weather, “—and after I killed him to keep him quiet, Demeter discovered an even more direct correlation: the ignition of the Parnassus engine would cause an immediate meltdown in the core. Even if the earth could be saved, activating the engine would erase any chance of that.”

And Galo thought Kray’s betrayal couldn’t get any worse. “So not just the Burnish—you condemned every single human on Earth!” he bursts out, momentarily forgetting his resolution to let Kray speak uninterrupted.

“Don’t be stupid, Galo. The earth was doomed regardless. Whether in ten, twenty, fifty years—it didn’t matter. The existence of the Burnish was a plague, rotting the earth from the inside out. Humanity was over.”

“That was your decision!” Galo spits. “You decided to murder them all!”

Kray tilts his head, eyebrows pinched together. “Murder? What I did was a mercy.” He takes another step forward and Galo instinctively pulls Lio back, moving in front of him. Kray regards them scornfully. “Oh, Galo. I always knew your obsession with saving people would be your undoing.”

Galo grits his teeth. “Release the Burnish,” he forces out, “and we can end this.”

From this distance, Galo can see Kray’s eye twitch. “The Burnish—” he snaps, “—are dead. Whether or not they turned to ash is irrelevant. I traded their lives for the survival of mankind. Even if they are somehow alive down there, they’re only useful to me as a pile of martyred corpses. They will _never_ leave their tomb.” He raises a hand and points a white gloved finger at Lio, who’s glaring furiously over Galo’s extended arm. “That mutant you’re so attached to has been dead and buried for twenty years. And I’m going to put him back where he belongs.”

“So you aren’t willing to make a deal with us?” Galo asks, heart pounding.

“For the love of—” Kray pinches the bridge of his nose. “Do I have to spell it out for you? You have no power here, Galo! Even if you do tell everyone the truth, that I killed the Burnish, that I doomed the earth, who will believe you?” He lays a hand over his heart. “I’m the leader of the remnants of humanity—a hero. And you’re a hopeless stray I took pity on, struggling uselessly in my shadow.” Raising his head, he spreads his arms to take in the plaza. “Here, on Omega Centauri, I am a god. You are nothing. Who in their right mind would believe you over me?”

Lio’s hand curls into the back of Galo’s shirt and Galo feels a grim smile spread across his face. “No one,” he says, pulse rushing in his ears. “That’s why _I’m_ not going to tell them.”

Kray furrows his brows, but before he can say anything, he’s interrupted by the faint electronic whine of a screen switching on.

_“—Even if you do tell everyone the truth, that I killed the Burnish, that I doomed the earth, who will believe you?—”_

Kray’s own voice thunders through the plaza and Galo looks up, over the Myth of Mankind, to see the massive screen mounted on the Foresight Building glowing with an image of Kray’s tense, irritated face. The angle is low, shot from the camera hidden in Galo’s flashlight clip, and as he watches, the video skips, Kray’s expression jumping to a cold half smile: “ _—I know that Earth is gone because I signed its death warrant—the Burnish were connected to the increased volcanic activity in the core—the ignition of the Parnassus engine would cause an immediate meltdown in the core. Even if the earth could be saved, activating the engine would erase any chance of that—”_

_“So not just the Burnish—you condemned every single human on Earth!”_ Galo’s own incensed voice cuts in, then skips to: _“You decided to murder them all!”_

Another edit, cutting to Kray’s demeaning simper: _“Murder? What I did was a mercy.”_

As though in slow-motion, Kray turns to face the screen.

_“The Burnish are dead— I traded their lives for the survival of mankind. Even if they are somehow alive down there, they’re only useful to me as a pile of martyred corpses—”_

On the video, Kray skips forward to the exasperated condescension of barely a minute ago: _“—Here, on Omega Centauri, I am a god. You are nothing. Who in their right mind would believe you over me?”_

_“—I am a god—I am a god—I am a god—”_

As the words repeat in a delusional chorus, filling the plaza, Kray turns back, face blank, and Galo meets his shadowed, unreadable eyes.

“We’re tapped into the Sight System,” Galo says softly. “This is streaming on every screen in Parnassus.”

As though on cue, the door to one of the apartment buildings lining the plaza slides open and two women race out, looking around wildly. At the sight of the stand-off in front of the statue, they stop short, gasping, and the man following them shouts something incomprensible.

_“—Even if you do tell everyone the truth, that I killed the Burnish, that I doomed the Earth, who will believe you?—”_

The video starts looping, playing the same snippets of their conversation over again, drumming the cruel words into Galo’s brain as Kray tenses more and more in front of him.

A few more people rush out of their buildings, and Galo hears the distinct sound of windows sliding open as folks realize that the broadcast is real and that Kray is still in the plaza. From the corner of his eye, Galo spots a pair of Freeze Force agents, decked out in mechanical armor, emerging from an alley, guns slack in their grips and faces turned toward the screen.

“We warned you,” Galo says tightly. “And you refused.”

_“—Here, on Omega Centauri, I am a god—”_

“It’s over, Kray,” Lio snarls. “Your kingdom is crumbling.”

Kray ducks his head as the clamor of voices swells around them, more and more people streaming out of their buildings, lining the plaza in a growing crowd. Galo watches warily, pulling Lio closer.

“Just come quietly, Kray,” he calls over the noise. “This doesn’t have to end violently.”

When Kray speaks, it’s almost too soft to hear, but Galo’s straining ears just pick up: “If only that was true.”

The now familiar rush of fire igniting is the only warning Galo gets before his vision is full of blinding light. Instinctively, he shoves Lio clear, diving to the side and barely avoiding the stream of flame.

Whipping around, he locks wide eyes with Lio through the trailing embers of the blast just before Lio is forced to divert another beam, hands glowing with defensive fire.

“You’re Burnish!” Lio yells, eyes blazing, and Galo turns back to Kray, stunned to numbness.

Kray, prosthetic arm raised and alight with swirling, prismatic fire, regards them coolly, the shifting light casting long shadows across his face.

Dimly, Galo hears the crowd erupt in screams, but the roaring in his ears drowns the specifics.

“Why?” he rasps, staggering forward. “You’re—you’re one of them—so why—!”

“As if you could ever understand,” Kray sneers, and the fire surges further up his arm, burning away his sleeve to reveal black, gem-like skin. “This mutation is nothing but a curse—I know that better than anyone! I did humanity a favor by eradicating it!” He aims at Galo and the flames leap out of his fingertips in concentrated bolts.

Before Galo can react, Lio flashes in front of him, intercepting the shots, dispersing them into a scatter of jagged obsidian fragments that strike the ground around them in an arc.

“How are you alive?” Lio demands. “Separating from the Promare should have drained your power and killed you!”

“I cannot be compared to the likes of you.” Kray narrows his eyes. “My power is beyond your comprehension. The fire doesn’t control me. It was easy to seal it away to keep my life force from eroding, controlling it perfectly like I always have.” He spreads his fingers. “The amount I’ll have to sacrifice to kill you will be negligible.”

Lio catches the next blast, plunging his hands into the ball of fire and cutting its momentum abruptly, sending it rippling out in a harmless circle. “That just means you never synchronized properly with the Promare!” he yells. “You’re barely more than a glorified flamethrower!”

Galo grabs his arm. “Lio, we’ve gotta get away—”

Kray clicks his tongue loudly and swerves his aim to a cluster of people still huddled on the edge of the plaza. In an instant, the group is surrounded by a wall of flame, screaming and cowering together to escape the heat. “Don’t move.”

“Kray!” Galo shouts in disbelief. “You—!”

“I’ve enjoyed being a benevolent king these twenty years,” Kray simpers. “But I’m willing to sacrifice that image for the greater good.” His face darkens. “I’m willing to sacrifice _anything_.”

“The greater good!” Lio repeats in outrage, and Galo can see sparks dancing on his fingertips, flickers of light tracing through his hair like lightning peeking through storm clouds. “You’re depraved!”

“Lio, don’t—” but before Galo can make Lio put his fire out, a blue bolt slams into Lio from the side, sending him sprawling on the ground, arm encased in ice. “Lio!”

“Sorry I’m late, boss—” Vulcan’s sneering voice cuts in, and Galo turns to see him stomping out of an alley, hiking his massive gun up and pumping it. “Some of the force isn’t thrilled about your confessional. Had to settle ‘em down.”

Galo races to Lio’s side, pulling out the laser knife to start detaching the ice where it’s frozen to the ground. “They don’t want to serve a lying murderer!” he shouts.

Vulcan shrugs. “They’ll figure out they don’t have a choice soon enough.” He levels the gun at Galo. “Nice plan there, kid. Think of it yourself?”

Gritting his teeth, Galo braces himself over Lio.

“Galo, go—” Lio gasps. “You can’t fight them—I’ll hold them off—”

“Shut up.” Galo darts his eyes around the plaza. It may have been optimistic to believe that Kray would go quietly, but Galo thinks he should be excused for not seeing _this_ coming. What the fuck are they gonna do—

“Galo!” Someone calls, and Galo jerks his head around in time to see one of the side-lined Freeze Force agents toss something his way.

Galo catches it with a grunt, realizing it’s an ice gun, and barely has time to charge and fire it at the searing bolt aimed for his head. The blast solidifies and Galo ducks, letting it sail over him to shatter against the ground. He fires again instantly, sighting Kray’s furious face, but Kray dodges easily.

Taking the moment of distraction, Galo stands and stomps on the ice surrounding Lio’s arm, feeling it crack with a high-pitched splitting sound, and Lio struggles out of it, rolling to his feet just in time to tackle Galo away from another ice beam.

Hopping to his feet, Galo braces in front of Lio, gun ready. Kray raises his arm again, but then another ice blast from the side forces his attention away as he deflects it. He turns, snarling, to the Freeze Force agents creeping forward, guns trained on him. In his periphery, Galo sees one agent putting out the fire surrounding the onlookers and herding them down a sidestreet.

“Hey, Lucia—” Galo says, switching his aim between Kray, who’s knocking aside ice blasts, and Vulcan, dealing with another group of armored turncoats. “Is there a way out of this?”

“I’m working on it—” Lucia pipes up, sounding harried. “I wasn’t really expecting this, if you can imagine!”

“Yeah, no shit!” Galo feels like his head is in a vice. He can’t even gather his thoughts, mind scattered and slipping, running on pure instinct.

“Heris and Aina are almost at the engine room,” Lucia continues. “The guards down there didn’t see the broadcast so they’re hearing it second hand from the others, but Aina says it’s working. With any luck they’ll be able to free the Burnish! As long as Kray stays distracted—!”

“Galo!” A furious shriek rips across the plaza just before the Freeze Force agents are sent flying by a long, flaming whip. They slam into walls and skid across the ground, armor dissolving from the intense heat of Kray’s flames, and Kray strides out of the fire consuming the empty reflecting pool. Face twisted in fury and wreathed in the licking flames that used to be his hair, he points at Galo and Lio. “You two—” he seethes, “—are nothing but eyesores!”

Galo fires at him, but the ice turns to steam in mid-air, and Kray charges forward. Before Galo can grab Lio and book it, a wall of ice erupts behind them, and he turns to see Vulcan shaking off the last of the defectors, heading toward them.

He meets Lio’s eyes, heart thundering in his chest.

“Go—” Lio jerks his head at Vulcan. “Take care of him—I’ll keep Kray busy.”

“Lio, you—!”

“I’ll be fine! We have to hold out!” Lio levels him with a searing look. “We’re making it through this.” And before Galo can say anything else, he takes off, racing toward Kray, sliding under the spout of fire Kray instantly aims at him.

Galo sets his jaw. He can only trust Lio for now.

Adjusting his grip on his gun, Galo sprints in Vulcan’s direction, dodging two quick shots. He gets off one of his own before ducking behind a trash can. The video is still playing, filling the plaza with Kray’s incriminating words, providing the whole clusterfuck with a grim score, and Galo is almost impressed at Lucia’s ability to pick out the worst fragments when the line about martyred corpses plays just as ice scrapes the ground inches from his foot.

“You’re a pretty ungrateful brat, you know that?” Vulcan rumbles from right above him.

Galo jolts, throwing himself sideways just as the trashcan crumples under the force of Vulcan’s heavy metal foot. He rolls to one knee and fires, catching Vulcan in the shoulder. But this mech armor must be more advanced than what he had on during their previous encounters, because Vulcan just flexes his arm and the ice cracks off.

“After all the time and effort the Governor spent on you—this is how you repay him?” Vulcan stomps over the crushed trash can. “Destroying the colony he worked so hard to build?”

“He’s a liar and a murderer,” Galo retorts, rising and inching backwards, glancing around. “I don’t owe him anything! And neither does the colony!”

“Everything was fine until you stuck your nose in!” Vulcan spits, pumping his gun. “If you’d stayed out of it, we all could have lived our lives in peace!”

“I refuse to live a lie!” Galo shouts. “Your own men agree with me! And the colonists!”

“Then they’re idiots, and if they keep opposing us, they’ll die.” Vulcan’s lips curl back in a sharp, jagged smile. “Like you’re about to.”

This shot clips Galo’s arm as he dives out of the way, and he whips behind a tree, slamming his elbow into the trunk frantically to break the ice. It falls away and Galo just manages to duck another blast that freezes the wood right where he was leaning.

“Hey, Lucia—” he pants, aiming a cursory shot at Vulcan and skittering away while he’s dodging it. “Any idea how one squishy human can beat a full suit of mech armor?”

“Shit, hang on—”

Galo hears keys clicking as he rolls to avoid another ice bolt. The chase is taking them further and further down the plaza, away from the statue, and Galo can see bright, prismatic sprays of light illuminating the obsidian structure but he doesn’t have time to actually check on the fight, busy ducking behind another trashcan.

“There should be a central motherboard at the back of the neck,” Lucia says rapidly. “Take that out and the joints should lock up without input from the hydraulics.”

“Got it.” Galo darts out of cover, weaving around a row of stone benches as each one in turn is speared with gleaming icicles. “Any word on Heris and Aina?”

“They’re in the engine room! Trying to get into one of the pods now!”

“Awesome,” Galo mutters, grinding to a halt and turning to face the massive form storming toward him. “Not much longer.”

“Stop dragging this out, kid!” Vulcan shouts. “You and that Burnish freak are done for!”

Steadying his nerves, Galo charges his gun and fires two successive shots, right where Vulcan’s huge foot is about to strike the ground. The ice erupts from the pavement, reaching up to instantly encase his metal boot, stopping him dead. He lets out a disgusted snarl, wrenching at his leg. It won’t hold him long, but Galo only needs a few seconds.

Breaking into a run, Galo taps the panel on his wrist, and the hoverboots glow to life, lifting him into the air between one step and the next. He shoots upward right in front of Vulcan’s shocked face, tossing the gun into the air in order to pull out the laser knife again. He plants one hand on Vulcan’s bald head and shoves, sending himself over and down, flipping the world vertically as he raises the activated knife. The metal of Vulcan’s neck plate sizzles loudly as the knife slices into it, and sparks arc away from the blade. Galo wrenches it to the side and down for good measure before his momentum carries him completely forward and he flips in mid-air, forcing his boots back underneath him and cutting the power.

He lands, stumbling slightly, just in time to catch the gun as it falls, and whirls around, braced for retaliation, but none comes. Vulcan’s mech is frozen in place.

“What the fuck!” Vulcan yells, craning his head to look behind him. “What did you—” his limbs jerk, hydraulics hissing, as the slash at the back of his neck spits sparks. “Dammit!”

“Just chill here for a while,” Galo can’t resist quipping, firing a barrage of shots to completely coat the useless metal exoskeleton in ice.

“Fuck yeah!” Lucia cheers.

“Heris and Aina?” Galo asks, spinning around and taking off back toward the other end of the plaza.

“They’re in—my communication with them is a little jumbled, but—” a clatter, and some more keys clicking, before Lucia bursts out: “Heris did it! It looks like she’s freed a statue!”

Relief surges through Galo so powerfully he almost trips. “Yes!”

“Now, that just leaves—”

Whatever Lucia says is drowned out by a garbled scream, accompanied by a deafening rush of fire, and Galo sprints around a huge obsidian spike sticking out of the ground in time to see Kray, black arm extended in warped facsimile, flaming fist enclosing Lio’s small frame, rear back and fling Lio directly at the Myth of Mankind. Galo cries out as Lio slams into the black stone of the main figure’s chest, deep fissures emanating from the crater formed by his body. The statue shudders violently, cracks digging further across the surface.

“Lio!” But he’s still too far away—Galo can only watch in horror as the whole thing buckles, chunks grinding together as the internal integrity falters and gravity drags the loosened segments downward.

With a ground-shaking _crash_ , the statue collapses, and Lio vanishes behind an avalanche of obsidian fragments. The figure’s hand snaps off its crumbling arm and careens downward, striking the pavement so hard the crystal flame shatters, sending sparkling splinters in every direction as the miniature Parnassus thuds dully on its side.

“No! Lio!” Panic slamming through his veins, Galo pushes himself faster.

Kray turns toward him, but Galo weaves around the fire sent his way and shoots a round of ice beams at Kray’s feet, too many for Kray to deflect all at once. At least one connects, rooting Kray to the pavement, and Galo hears Kray shriek in frustration.

At best, that’ll buy him a few seconds, and Galo wastes no time racing past Kray and diving into the rubble.

He drops the gun, scanning the piles of broken stone and grabbing the nearest slab. “Lio!” He heaves, muscles straining, shifting the slab aside to get to the densest cluster. “Can you hear me? Lio!”

“What happened!” Lucia shouts. “I wasn’t watching!”

“The—the statue—” Galo pants, hauling another chunk to the side. “Lio’s buried—!”

“Shit!”

Galo shifts a jagged piece and spies a glint of green. “Lio!” Quickly, heedless of the ache in his limbs, the protestations of his injuries and the bloody scrape of stone against his hands, Galo digs through the pile until he can get to Lio’s still, battered figure.

Lio stirs slightly when Galo scoops an arm under him to pull him out. “Galo—?”

“It’s alright, Lio, I got you—” Galo assures him, dragging him to a slightly clearer section of ground, surrounded by fallen sections of statue. “And Lucia says Heris and Aina made it! They’re freeing the Burnish!”

Blinking dazedly, Lio struggles to push himself up. “Vulcan—?”

“Taken care of, and Kray—”

“Galo!”

Galo’s spine goes rigid and he whips around, still kneeling in front of Lio.

Kray is kicking off the last of the ice, standing in the empty reflecting pool, and staring at Galo with open, scorching hatred. His arm is only fire now, cycling rapidly through angry reds and cold blues as he clenches his fist, teeth bared. “Since the beginning,” he seethes, “you have been the only thing I couldn’t plan for.”

Galo snatches the gun up from where he dropped it, even though the sweltering heat swirling in the air makes him think it won’t do any good anymore. Behind him, he hears Lio trying to right himself. “It was your decision to save me,” Galo spits.

The fire surrounding Kray throbs brighter. “No, it wasn’t.” Kray raises his head, peering down his nose at Galo. “Your house and family were merely victims of my first Burnish spasm, back when I was just starting to enact my plan. You escaped the fire and ran to me by chance. I saw it as a way to build my image and took you in.” His lips curl back in a sneer. “I wasn’t about to let some brat ruin everything I’d worked so hard for. I would turn the only person who could undo me into my most loyal supporter. Parnassus was my birthright, but you, Galo, you were _personal_.”

The pit in Galo’s stomach, numbed by adrenaline and panic, goes cold, icy fingers creeping from the sick floor of Galo’s gut, all the way up his throat, until there’s nothing but frozen horror. “So _none_ of it was real,” he chokes. “Not a single minute. Everything you ever said to me was a lie.”

“And you were happy!” Kray yells. “Everyone was! And now look!” He spreads his arms, taking in the burning plaza. “You’re nothing but a cancer!” His face twists. “My greatest mistake was not killing you twenty years ago.” He aims his hand at Galo. “Better late than never.”

Galo fires the gun, but the ice barely even leaves the muzzle before it evaporates into nothingness, and Galo’s vision is consumed by blinding, searing light. He can’t dodge and leave Lio vulnerable. All he can do is brace his arms uselessly in front of his face and wait for immolation.

Then a pair of thin arms wraps around him from behind, a scalding outline pressing itself to his back, and that familiar heat bleeds into him, rushing forward like water through a burst dam and flooding through his body until every inch of him feels like it’s glowing.

The blast still slams into him, a wall of impossible heat and force, but the heat kindling inside him blazes stronger, washing over him in a protective blanket, and Galo hesitantly blinks his eyes open. His raised arms are haloed in simmering turquoise light, and as Kray’s fire passes over him, the light pulses in time with his pounding heart. He looks down at the arms looped around his middle, fists curled into the fabric of his jacket.

After a beat, the deafening rush in his ears fades away and Kray’s fire cuts off, leaving Galo staring at Kray’s stunned face.

Lio’s arms fall away as he collapses to the ground and Galo rises on stiff legs. “You,” he says furiously, taking a step forward, “are a liar and a murderer.” Another step as Kray stares back, eyes wide, mouth agape. “You kidnapped ten thousand people and doomed billions to die for your selfish delusions.” Another step. “You sealed hundreds of innocent people alive in their coffins—” he crushes a chunk of broken statue under his foot, “—and when you couldn’t kill them, you made them disappear.” A few more steady strides brings him face-to-face with Kray, and he meets Kray’s burning gaze with his own. “And you refused every offer to make things right.”

“How is this possible?” Kray hisses. “No one should be powerful enough to—”

“Lio is stronger than you.” Galo raises his fist, the umbra around his body shifting into a lighter green. “And now, so am I. You don’t deserve mercy, but I’m going to drag your sorry ass back to Earth instead of killing you. Be grateful.”

“Grateful—?”

Galo cuts off Kray’s incredulous echo by rearing back and swinging his fist right into Kray’s jaw. The impact ripples through him, sending waves of green light away from his fist, and Kray reels, but before he can rally, Galo strikes again, slamming down and driving Kray face-first into the ground.

“Yes! Fuck yeah!” Lucia is cheering in his ear but Galo can barely hear her, staggering away from Kray’s prone form and back into the rubble of the statue.

Lio is sprawled on the ground, and he doesn’t react when Galo rolls him over and cups his face. “Lio! Lio—hey!” Galo scans Lio’s frame for obvious injuries, but other than the fact that his borrowed jacket is gone, surely burnt away, there’s nothing. Hands shaking, Galo presses his fingers to Lio’s throat, like he’s done before, just to make sure that steady hum is still beating beneath his pale skin—

But it’s not.

“No—no, Lio—” Cold panic surges through him, but Galo’s hands move on their own, first aid training taking over as he places his palm on Lio’s chest, right over his sternum, and steadies his shoulders over his wrists. “Come on, Lio, stay with me,” he begs under his breath, pushing down sharply, over and over. “We’re making it through this, remember? We promised—” His muscles are shaking with strain, sweat beading on his forehead, and his eyes are stinging, watering from ash and salt and terror, but he doesn’t let up the pace, counting each compression soundlessly.

Blinking hard to clear his vision, he notices the green glow sliding off of him, dripping down his arms in shifting rivulets to gather on Lio’s chest as a single prismatic flame. It flickers fitfully, geometric sparks spitting upward, before dimming, pulsing weakly in time with Galo’s movements.

Motion in his periphery makes Galo jerk his head up and he watches in wordless horror as Lio’s outstretched arm darkens, gray veins starting at his fingertips and racing upward, leaving the skin sooty and thin in their wake, and as Galo watches, the darkened sections start to flake away, drifting into the air like—

“Ash,” Galo chokes, throat tight.

Lucia is saying something. The rushing in his ears drowns everything but the ragged in-and-out of his own breaths as he stares at Lio’s pale, bruised face. His hands falter, stilling on Lio’s chest and pressing flat. The hollow behind Lio’s ribs is still and silent under his touch.

The green flame stutters, drawing Galo’s gaze.

Lio protected him, funneled his own power into Galo to save him from Kray’s attack, but it must have been too much for Lio’s over-taxed fire. He gave the last of his flame. For Galo.

Is this where it ends? After everything Lio went through—doomed to die in the wreckage of his own myth, so close to salvation? For the sake of someone like Galo?

Galo grits his teeth.

“No,” he grinds out, straightening up. “Not like this.” The green flame licks at his skin, warm in the intense way he’s come to associate with Lio, and shines weakly through the gaps of his fingers as he cups it in his hands. “We’re making it through this, goddammit. He killed you once—I’m not letting him do it again.” If Lio’s body needs fire to sustain itself, and Lio gave the last of it to Galo, Galo just has to give it _back_.

There’s no burn as Galo takes the dancing flame into his mouth; it just ripples through him, heat distant but present, glowing like a physical touch. Galo cradles Lio’s jaw and tilts his head up, smoothing Lio’s bangs out of his eyes as he leans down.

Galo has performed rescue breathing before. It’s basic first aid and both he and Aina have resuscitated people after terraforming accidents. He’s never given it much thought, since it’s usually done under high pressure and with great haste, a clinical procedure designed to save lives.

This is different.

Simultaneously thousands of times more urgent and infinitely more precious.

Galo seals his lips over Lio’s and breathes, letting the incandescent warmth glowing inside him flow out of his mouth and into Lio’s. Slowly, the warmth drains away from him and he closes his eyes, pressing all of the heat and all of the desperation thrumming through his veins against Lio’s mouth.

The world narrows to a few glittering points of focus: his hands on Lio’s face, Lio’s lips parted beneath his, the pulse of the fire singing between them.

Galo’s head swims in dizzy, breathless silence, and all he can do is hold tight. And breathe.

Until a weak, ragged gasp shatters the trembling quiet.

Galo feels Lio’s first breath against his lips and he pulls back instantly as Lio’s chest rises haltingly.

“Lio!”

Lio gasps again, heaving in a shuddering lungful of air, and coughs on the exhale, face scrunching up.

Relief washes through Galo, replacing the warmth of Lio’s fire with a giddy swoop of joy that swells brightly when Lio cracks gleaming violet eyes open to peer up at him.

“G—Galo?”

“Yeah, I’m here—” Galo can’t help the wide smile stretching across his face as he strokes his thumb over Lio’s cheekbone. “You made it, Lio. We did it.”

“We—?” Lio blinks dazedly, raising his hand, the one that Galo watched disintegrate, now whole again, to press over Galo’s on his face. “We did?”

“Yes! We took down Kray and Heris and Aina are freeing the Burnish right now!” An ecstatic laugh bubbles out of him and Galo ducks down to press his forehead to Lio’s. “You were amazing, Lio,” he says softly into the scant space between them.

Lio takes another deep breath, and Galo feels his other arm snake around his neck. “My fire,” he rasps. “I used it up, I thought—” His fist curls into the material of Galo’s shirt. “Did you...save me?”

“You saved me first.” Galo pulls back slightly to smile down at Lio. “We promised, right? We’re both making it out of this.” His thumb drifts down to the corner of Lio’s mouth. “Thank you,” he murmurs.

“For what?” Lio asks.

“For everything.” Galo cards his fingers through Lio’s hair. “You...changed everything.”

Lio regards him with an amount of gravitas that shouldn’t be possible for someone flat on his back on the ground. “Some people might think I ruined their life.”

“Not me. You woke me up, Lio, you’re—” Suddenly overcome by emotion, Galo scoops Lio to his chest in one fluid motion and squeezes. “You’re incredible!” he laughs, rocking slightly as elation zings through him. “We did it, Lio! We really did it! We saved everyone!”

Lio grabs his shoulders, two hot, hand-shaped marks pressed into Galo’s skin through his shirt, and lets out a breathless laugh. “We—we did,” he sounds almost as amazed as Galo feels.

When Galo relaxes his hold enough to basically lower Lio into his lap, Lio is smiling up at him, eyes shining, and Galo’s heart thumps restlessly in his chest. “You’re really something, Galo Thymos,” Lio marvels, reaching up to push back Galo’s messy hair. “At first, I didn’t understand why you were able to free me,” he says. “You couldn’t have been the first person to touch me after I turned to stone, but—I think I know now.” His wide smile softens, dipping into something gentle and aching. “The Promare knew that I needed you. Nobody else would work. It had to be you, Galo.”

The pit in Galo’s stomach, his constant companion since the truth started to take root at the base of his spine, sick and cold and inescapable, eases. Just a little. Like a wound starting to clot. But the effect is immediate, weightlessness washing through him to replace the bone-deep lead seeping from the pit into the rest of his body, and tears prick the corners of Galo’s eyes. “Really?”

Lio nods. “They knew you would be the one to fix this. You’re not Burnish, but—” Lio lays a hand on Galo’s chest, right over his thundering heart. “The Promare know you, Galo. They connected us.”

“That’s—” Galo blinks, heart throwing itself against his ribs as though it knows Lio is right on the other side. “That’s...really cool,” he says intelligently, eyes dropping to Lio’s mouth without his permission. “Like. Super awesome.”

Maybe it’s his exhausted brain, spinning with relief and fading adrenaline, but Galo swears he sees Lio’s gaze flick down as well. The space between them hums infinitely, every centimeter suddenly a lightyear, and Galo can’t take it, pulled forward by Lio’s inescapable gravity, and Lio tilts his head, eyes sliding closed—

“Galo! Galo! Holy fuck!”

Lucia’s sudden shriek rips through him and Galo flinches, clapping a hand over his ear. “What! What is it!” he shouts back as Lio swallows visibly and looks away. His cheeks are _definitely_ flushed.

“I’m getting all sorts of time-spacey readings!” Lucia babbles excitedly. “The same energy as when Lio opens that portal! I think the freed Burnish are starting to connect to Earth!”

“That’s amazing, Lucia.” Galo meets Lio’s eyes and grins, sending him all the relief still fluttering through him. “Let’s send these people home.”

Lio, soot-stained and pale, smiles back like the sun rising.

* * *

“I don’t really understand it,” Heris admits, hugging her arms around herself as she and Galo watch the bustling scene in the plaza. “I’ve touched those statues before. Plenty of people have. Kray, my mother, the other scientists, but—” she breaks off, shaking her head. “Nothing happened. This time, though...I barely brushed one and….”

“Lio said the Promare know,” Galo shrugs. He takes a sip from the water bottle Aina threw at him a few minutes ago and when he lowers it, Heris is frowning at him. “The fire aliens that give the Burnish their powers,” Galo explains quickly. “Apparently they can sense friend from foe. I guess before now, you were foe.” He smiles. “But once you decided to help, they forgave you.”

Heris blinks and turns back to the sunlit plaza, gaze fixed on the hundreds of people who, until a few hours ago, were trapped in obsidian hundreds of meters under their feet. “Really?” she whispers. “Do you think...they really forgave me?”

Galo pats her on the shoulder. “For sure!”

Her face does something complex, but before she can say anything else, Lucia is bounding up to them, Aina in tow.

“I think we’re about to get this show on the road,” she says brightly, waving her tablet around. “My readings are going crazy!” She jabs a thumb behind her, at the small gaggle of harried-looking scientists holding scanning equipment and regarding the whole scene with abject confusion. “Theirs too.”

“Awesome!”

After Kray’s confession, dawn broke on Parnassus, bringing a concerned and contrite population out of their homes. It took a bit of effort to get everything settled, bringing the newly freed Burnish above ground and organizing the colonists to prevent mass confusion. Galo even found himself giving a colony-wide address alongside Heris on the same broadcast system that was Kray’s undoing. Communication from the settlements started rolling in quickly as well, and overall it’s been precariously-ordered chaos.

Lio was invaluable, of course. The Burnish, understandably panicked and disoriented, recognized him instantly and trusted his explanation. In fact, they were nearly all overjoyed to see him, and Lio was just as ecstatic to be back with them. He tried to keep himself composed, maintaining a stable exterior for the sake of the Burnish, but Galo could tell he was beyond thrilled. His facade finally broke when two people, a tall, long-haired man, and a shorter, spiky redhead, called out to him through the crowd, and Lio abandoned decorum to sprint into their arms. Even now, when Galo looks over, Lio is balancing a small child on his hip and speaking solemnly to the long-haired man, who he introduced as Meis, while the redhead, apparently named Guiera, nods along enthusiastically.

As Galo watches, distracted from whatever big words Lucia is spouting, Lio glances through his entourage and catches Galo’s eye. With a parting smile, he passes the toddler to Guiera and breaks away from the group, heading over.

“I think it’s almost time,” he greets, nodding to the four of them. “The others feel it too.”

Galo beams, setting aside his water in favor of taking Lio’s hand. “It’s gonna be a bit of a lightshow, huh?”

“Definitely.” Lio smiles back.

Over Lio’s head, Galo catches Gueira and Meis scowling at him. “All the Burnish really like you, Lio.”

Lio shrugs. “Most of them were hiding out with me when we got captured. I was something of a leader to them.”

“That’s amazing, Lio.”

“He already told us that,” Aina points out. “Did you not believe him?”

“I didn’t think he was lying, I just didn’t really know what that meant until now!” Galo protests. “I’ve been a bit preoccupied, in case you didn’t notice!”

Aina rolls her eyes but her expression is fond.

Lio casts a look around at them. “Thank you. All of you. This wouldn’t have been possible without you.” He gestures with his free hand across the plaza, where Galo can just see Ignis heading a line of volunteers currently handing out donated clothes. “You, and Captain Ignis...we’ll never be able to thank you enough.”

“Don’t mention it,” Lucia chirps. “It was the least we could do.”

“Right.” Aina puts her hands on her hips. “I’m just sorry we took so long.”

Heris shifts her weight. “Yes. I’m so sorry.”

“None of that matters now,” Lio says imperiously. “When you were called upon, you answered.” He turns to look up at Galo. “We won’t forget that.”

Galo squeezes his hand. He’s been more or less at Lio’s elbow since last night, but every second apart from him feels like way too long. Maybe it’s the echo of Lio’s fire still warming the hollow of his chest, maybe it’s the knowledge that Lio will be gone soon, but it feels like second nature to reach out and hold Lio close. If Lio minds, he doesn’t let on, instead drifting into Galo’s radius as though he’s subject to the same inexplicable magnetism.

“I’m gonna miss you, Lio,” Lucia says. “You’re the wildest thing that’s ever happened to us.”

“Right,” Aina agrees. “A bedtime story come to life. Can’t beat that.” She elbows Galo in the ribs. “You know, Galo was super obsessed with the whole _myth of mankind_ thing as a kid.”

Lio quirks an eyebrow. “Really?”

Galo feels his cheeks darken. “Well—yeah, I mean—” he rubs the back of his neck. “A race of humans that could control fire? And used their power to save everyone? I didn’t know it was all a lie back then so, I just—thought it was. Heroic. I don’t know.” He ducks his head, slightly ashamed. “It sort of...made me want to save people too.”

Lucia snickers. “Even before you met, you were changing his life, Lio. Talk about destiny.”

When Galo chances a look at Lio, he’s staring up at him with a knowing glint in his eyes. “Destiny,” he repeats softly. “That’s not a bad word.”

The crowd in the plaza ripples noisily, interrupting whatever genius thing was about to fall out of Galo’s stupefied mouth, and everyone perks up.

“Oh, here we go!” Lucia bounces on her toes, raising her tablet.

“Go on,” Galo nods to the crowd, but Lio shakes his head.

“It’s fine. I’ll watch from here.”

Galo’s heart sings in time with the vibrations suddenly strumming the air.

The Burnish gather together, turning to face the portal as it folds open at the head of the plaza. Everyone, Burnish and colonist alike, seems to hold their breath at the sight of the shimmering gap stretching wider and wider, hiding the broken wreckage of the Myth of Mankind statue behind a swath of glittering, iridescent colors that slowly swirl and solidify into shapes, figures clumped on the other side of the opening. From his vantage point, Galo can just see the familiar, bushy form of Thyma at the head of the group.

As soon as the image stabilizes, she takes a step forward, and a tense hush falls over the plaza. Slowly, she reaches out, like she’s done before, to touch the window, but unlike the other times, her hand passes right through the shimmering barrier like it’s water, and relief swoops low in Galo’s stomach.

Thyma pulls back with a huge smile, pumping her fists in the air. “Yes! Yes! It’s working!”

The Burnish on both sides of the portal burst into cheers and rush forward. There’s no hesitation as they begin to cross through the portal, and Galo can see the Burnish on Earth eagerly moving to let them through, receiving them with hugs and tears and jubilant noise, as though they’re not strangers but long-lost friends.

“The Promare connect us,” Lio says, as though sensing Galo’s surprise, and Galo looks down to see him watching with shining eyes. “The feelings may not be our own, but the joy is real.”

“Those little fire aliens missed you guys a lot. They really worked hard to get you back.”

“Oh, I can’t _wait_ to get over there and start studying them!” Lucia pipes up. “I bet the folks back on Earth are already on top of it, but I wanna know everything!”

“If all these Burnish were able to gather to channel the portal,” Heris starts thoughtfully, “I wonder if the persecution has eased up.”

“Thyma’s human friend seemed pretty chill,” Aina points out. “So probably.”

“We’ll know for sure in a minute,” Galo says, indicating the thinning crowd around the portal.

Gueira and Meis are overseeing the transfer of Kray, still unconscious and heavily encased in ice, through the portal, and the remaining Burnish seem to be bidding farewell to the colonists who were helping out.

“Come on.” Lio tugs on Galo’s hand and Galo follows him across the plaza. The others trail nervously behind them.

Being near the portal is a familiar sensation now, and Galo welcomes the bone-deep buzz and eye-watering prismatic effects jumping off the edges of the rift. Gueira and Meis, task completed, join them in front of the opening, eyeing Galo warily, and Galo sees Thyma standing right at the threshold, beaming.

“Lio!” She clasps her hands in front of her. “We did it! You were right!” Behind her, Galo can see the teal-haired man and an incredibly wide, dark-skinned guy running crowd control, along with dozens of other people. They seem to be in the middle of some sort of park. Galo can make out the shapes of trees and, beyond that, the blocky structures of buildings.

“I knew you could do it,” Lio says.

“Things are cool over there, right?” Galo asks. “Like—the Burnish aren’t about to be arrested, are they?”

Thyma shakes her head. “No! The past twenty years have been—well, after the Parnassus went missing, I think people realized they were being stupid about the Burnish. Politics, science—it all changed its tune really quickly.” She gestures vaguely behind her. “There are lots of news stations here, and the whole Promepolis government too. Once Remi got in touch with them, they actually wanted to help.” She bites her lip. “They’ll definitely want to talk to you, Lio.”

“That’s fine. There’s a lot to talk about.” Lio turns to Gueira and Meis, who, now that Galo looks, are the last ones left. “Go ahead. I’ll be right there.”

Meis nods seriously. “Alright, boss.”

Gueira throws a suspicious glance at Galo but nods as well. “Don’t take too long.”

“I won’t,” Lio assures him.

Seemingly satisfied, they step through the portal.

Then it’s just Lio.

Galo swallows as Lio turns to face him, tilting his head up and leveling Galo with intense purple eyes. Distantly, Galo can feel his palm sweating, but he holds Lio’s hand tighter anyway. “It doesn’t feel like it’s been less than a week since—uh—you know,” he says lamely. “Kinda feels like it’s been longer. But also...not long enough.”

Lio presses his lips together. “Galo, I….” he trails off, looking uncharacteristically hesitant.

“I guess this is goodbye,” Galo says quickly, trying to keep ahead of the constriction in his throat. “For now. For a while, anyway. For, uh—” Truthfully, he’s not sure when he’ll see Lio again and the possibility of _never_ sinks into his gut like a cold weight.

But then Lio is squeezing his hand. “I’ll be back,” he says seriously. “As soon as I figure out how. I’ll be back for you and the other colonists.”

“Right—” Galo nods. “Yeah, I’ll just—” he sweeps a hand over the plaza, at the nervously gathered citizens, watching with wide eyes at a distance. “I’ll stick around and take care of these guys. We’ve got a lot to prepare, if we’re gonna be heading home.” He hitches his smile back up. “There’s sort of a hole in our government right now, and I’m probably the only one who can fill it.”

“That’s a pretty sorry state of affairs,” Lio teases.

“You’re telling me. Kray always wanted me to succeed him, but I never thought it’d happen like this.” Galo takes a deep breath. “But I’ll figure it out. And we’ll be here, waiting for you. I’ll be—I’ll be waiting for you,” he confesses softly, keeping the words in the space between them.

Lio inhales sharply, lips parting.

“So—” Galo smiles softly, “I’ll see you soon, Lio.”

Heat flashes behind Lio’s gaze and he reaches up, slipping his free hand behind Galo’s neck. “I waited for you for twenty years, Galo Thymos,” he murmurs. “Now it’s your turn.”

“I definitely can’t hold out that long,” Galo chuckles. “I’d fly home myself in that amount of time.”

“Don’t. I’ll be back.”

“I know.”

“I will.”

“I know.”

“Galo.” Lio’s eyes are blazing. His hand on Galo’s neck is searing, like always, and Galo’s breath catches in his lungs. “I’ll be back.”

“I know,” Galo chokes out, vision blurring. “I know.”

When Lio pulls him down, he goes because there’s no other choice. He has to kiss Lio, for real this time. He has to wrap his arms around Lio and hold him against his chest. He has to feel Lio’s hands in his hair and Lio’s mouth, hot and demanding, on his own. It’s imperative.

It’s different from the rescue breathing, but the same desperation feeds his urgency, echoed in the way Lio clings to him, a feedback loop of ardent connection that spikes down Galo’s spine and floods his head with light.

When they separate, Galo lingers, lips just brushing Lio’s. “I’ll wait,” he whispers. “So you come find me this time, Lio.”

Lio nods and tucks his face into Galo’s neck, breathing in deeply. For one suspended moment, they just hold each other. The burns on Galo’s chest ache.

Then Lio is pulling away, stepping back, out of Galo’s reach. His hand trails out of Galo’s and Galo holds his stare as he passes through the shimmering curtain of the portal.

“See you soon, Lio Fotia!” Galo calls, blinking hard.

Lio nods, one side of his mouth quirking up. “See you, Galo Thymos.”

The portal, with no one left on Omega Centauri to anchor it, hums, spitting sparks, and starts to shrink, contracting in on itself and rippling with kaleidoscopic light.

The last things Galo sees before the opening winks out are Lio’s eyes, sparkling at him from four lightyears away.

With one last pulse of energy and a depressurized thump, the portal seals, and Galo blinks against the sunspots peppering his vision.

His heartbeat rocks through him in a faint echo of the portal’s vibration.

Then he breathes in deeply and claps his hands, spinning around. “Alright,” he says cheerfully, grinning at his dazed-looking friends. “We’ve got an unspecified amount of time to get this place cleaned up. Let’s get started!”

* * *

Omega Centauri has two moons.

It doesn’t matter much to Galo, personally, but today he can’t help but regard the smooth, ghostly disc of Selene with a level of bittersweet fondness. It’s been an ever-present companion for nearly his entire life and, even though he’s never been one for astronomy, anyone would feel a little melancholy at the knowledge that they’ll never see a sight they always took for granted again.

But any vague flicker of regret Galo may feel over the loss of this familiar sky is instantly overshadowed by the eagerness jumping through him.

“Nice day for a migration!” Lucia chirps, skipping up to him. “Don’t you think?”

Galo squints across the cracked, barren terrain. “Yup! Perfect!” They’re right outside the city limits, standing on dusty red ground with a gaggle of city officials and scientists. “Any word yet?”

“We got a transmission just a second ago.” Lucia grins toothily. “Warp is go. They should be here any minute.”

Galo’s stomach flips with excitement. “Awesome.” Communication with Earth is limited, since complex transmissions can’t cross the distance in an amount of time that makes sending them worthwhile, but when they started receiving short bursts of static from Earth’s location about two months ago, Galo can’t remember ever being happier. They managed to coordinate through simplistic messages and now, a mere six months since the Burnish went home, the colonists are about to follow.

Some folks decided to stay behind, of course, mostly those in the settlements, already adapted to the harsher life without support from Parnassus. They’ll be able to contact Earth in an emergency, however, and the vast majority of the colonists decided to migrate back. Humans belong on Earth, after all, and it’s not like the original ten thousand left because they wanted to. Getting twenty fifteen thousand people ready to leave their whole lives behind has been a complicated task, but Galo threw himself into it whole-heartedly. No one’s more eager to get back than him, after all.

“From the message, it looks like a flagship will come through first, followed by a ferrying fleet,” Lucia explains, turning expectant eyes to the clear sky. “We should all be back home by the end of the day.”

Galo sucks in a lungful of sun-baked air. He wonders if Earth will smell different. He was too young when he left to really recall what Earth was like, but all the lessons he had in school talked about forests and huge bodies of standing water and wildly disparate seasons. Omega Centauri has been home to him for twenty years, but leaving it behind won’t be an ending. It’ll be a return to what was taken from him. “You all packed?” he asks.

Lucia waves a hand. “Yeah, yeah. You?”

“Aina’s got my bag.”

“One bag?”

“Yup.” Galo thinks about his dull, impersonal apartment. All his plans to make it his own sort of evaporated when the shit went down. “There’s not much I want to take.”

Lucia flashes him a pointy smirk. “The thing you care most about is already on Earth, huh?”

Galo smiles back at her. “Hopefully, he’s on the flagship.”

“Can’t even wait that long?”

“Nope.”

She snickers.

“ _There_ you guys are!” Galo turns to see Aina skirting around the group of observers, hurrying toward them. “I should have known you’d be hiding out here.”

“Not hiding,” Galo protests. “This is the best place to wait. Where’s my bag?”

“I left our stuff with Heris.” Aina stops beside him and looks up at the sky, shadowing her eyes with her hand. “Any word?”

“Should be here any minute,” Lucia informs her. “How’s it back on the plaza?”

“It’s a zoo.” Aina shakes her head. “Everyone’s cooperating, there are just _thousands_ of them, you know?”

The plan is to send people back in waves, and the first wave is already standing by in the northern plaza. Galo claps Aina in the back. “You’re doing good work, deputy.”

“Ugh.” She rolls her eyes. “I can’t wait to get to Earth so that you’re no longer in a position of power.”

“Are you implying that I haven’t led our glorious colony to greatness?” Galo scoffs in false affront. “I should strip you of your rank for that!”

“Go ahead.”

“Done.”

Aina laughs, eyes twinkling as she looks up at Galo. “So the adventure is almost over, huh. How’s it feel to be on the other side of it?”

Galo smiles. “It’s not over yet, Aina. It’s probably just starting, actually.”

“That’s one way to dodge the question.”

“It’s always an adventure with me around!”

“Yeah, okay—”

“Shut up, you two—” Lucia gasps suddenly, eyes bugged out at her tablet. “I think it’s happening!”

As if in response to her words, the air starts to vibrate and Galo’s heart skips.

In the pale blue sky, high above them, a dark spot spins into existence, drawing Galo’s gaze instantly. It whirls for a beat as the hum strengthens. Then, similar to the portals Galo remembers intimately, it expands, edges pushing outward to reveal layered, flashing colors. Unlike with the portals, Galo can’t make out the other end. The hole just seems to lead into a tunnel of geometric light.

The warp stretches and stretches, glittering in the sky above Omega Centauri, pulsing energy into the atmosphere at a frequency that prickles across Galo’s skin, until something dips out of the gap. The metal underbelly of a ship slides slowly into view, sinking past the chromatic borders, revealing a sleek black hull and a cluster of glowing engines. It looks relatively small, probably the flagship Lucia mentioned, and the sight makes Galo’s breath hitch.

He follows the ship as it lowers out of the warp and drifts down toward the surface of the planet. Its trajectory should put it about a hundred meters away, and wind is already kicking up around them, whipping Galo’s hair back. It takes all of Galo’s self-control not to start sprinting.

“That looks so cool!” Lucia yells. “Did they build that in six months? Holy shit!”

Aina is shielding her eyes from the flying dust, but Galo couldn’t care less, watching eagerly as the ship descends. The sun glints off the dark metal plating and the wind increases with every meter it drops, until it’s hovering right above the ground, engines glowing brighter. A metallic hissing sound reaches them before several hatches open, deploying landing gear that touches down with controlled ease, settling the ship onto the craggy red earth.

The engines dim to a humming simmer and the wind dies down. Breathless, Galo steps forward, heart pounding in anticipation.

After what feels like forever, a hatch on the ship pops out of place with a clunk, and mechanical grinding fills the air as a walkway periscopes out of a slowly-opening bay door.

Galo takes another step, eyes fixed on the widening gap, searching for any sign of—

A slim figure darts onto the walkway as soon as the door is open far enough, green hair gleaming in the sun, and Galo breaks into a run.

It’s only a few dozen meters but it feels like lightyears. Fortunately, Lio meets him halfway and Galo crashes into him with a jubilant laugh, scooping him right off the ground and squeezing him tight, almost dizzy with joy.

Lio is laughing too, the sound ringing in Galo’s ears as he wraps his arms around Galo’s neck. He’s as warm as Galo remembers.

“Lio! I missed you!” Galo shouts, unable to contain the emotion bubbling through him.

“It hasn’t even been a year!” But Galo can hear the smile in Lio’s voice, and he detaches enough to set Lio back on his feet and actually look at him.

He looks the same. It really hasn’t been that long, so Galo shouldn’t be surprised, but he couldn’t help the nagging worry that he’d miss something while they were apart. Luckily, Lio’s as short and fair as always, green hair fluffy from Galo manhandling him, violet eyes glittering as he beams up at Galo.

“I still missed you,” Galo breathes.

Lio’s grin softens. “I missed you too.”

“Everything’s ready to go. We’ve got the colonists organized in waves.”

“Good.” Lio gestures behind himself, at the ship, where more people are starting to trickle down the walkway. “Some people want to speak with you, but the rest of the fleet will be here soon, and then we’ll be ready to start.” He peers around Galo and waves. He’s probably greeting Aina and Lucia, but Galo can’t tear his gaze away long enough to confirm.

“Six months definitely beats twenty years,” Galo says, tightening his grip around Lio’s waist. “You’re amazing, Lio.”

“It wasn’t that hard.” Lio quirks an eyebrow at him. “I’ll fill you in on the details later.”

“Yes, I want to hear everything.” Galo bows to tap their foreheads together. “We’ve got a lot to catch up on.”

Lio slides his hands into Galo’s hair, messy from the wind. “We do.” The radiant heat of his body bleeds into Galo, warming a part of him that’s been cold and dark since Lio stepped through the portal six months ago. “Thank you for waiting,” Lio whispers.

“You’re welcome,” Galo smirks. “But I’m done with that now. Neither of us are waiting around anymore.”

When Galo leans forward and catches Lio’s mouth with his own, Lio hums agreement against his lips.

They’ve got a long day ahead of them, and an uncertain future past that, but whatever happens, they’re in it together. Galo smiles helplessly into the kiss, heart soaring.

He can’t wait to get to work.

**Author's Note:**

> Come see me on [tumblr](https://mistresseast.tumblr.com/) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/MistressEast)!
> 
> Stay alert, stay kind, and stay safe. My thoughts are with all of you in these uncertain times.


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